Stuffed Bittergourd (Kakarkaya pottalu)

I assume most of you out there are not a big fan of bitter gourd like i was. Though its extremely bitter, it has tons of nutritional values to it. It stimulates digestion and is also very good for diabetes people.

A while back i asked Ven, how come most of the things which we like (sweets, fried items) are not healthy and the things which we don’t like (like certain type of veggies, fruits, whole wheat products) are healthy. He replied by asking me: why do you like something when you know its not healthy for you. I think we all know that, but we end up leaning towards the unhealthy stuff.

As of know my priorities and my eating habits are changing for good. Now my perspective is-just give a try and try getting use to it. You may not love it, but i am sure you will eventually like it. One vegetable i have adapted this kind of strategy is bitter gourd.

when ever my mom made stuffed bitter gourd, I used to eat the stuffing and just the seeds in the bitter gourd. But now i eat all of eat. If i am running the kitchen, In addition to just cooking i need to eat them to set a good example at least for the people around me.

 

 

 

Recipe:

Bitter gourd(Karela/Kakarkayi)- Medium size 2

Medium sized onion-1 (chopped to tiny pieces)

dalia powder/chanaga pappu powder- 4 tbsps

grated dry coconut - 1 1/2 tbsps

red chille powder- 1/2 to 1 tsp

and salt as desired

Procedure:

My mom’s version of cooking the Bittergourd:

My mom used to cook the whole bitter gourd in a pot with some salt, turmeric and tamarind. Once cooked she used to pan fry(not deep fry) the bitter gourd with a teaspoon of oil till its roasted on all sides. And then cut in the center and stuff the dalia and coconut mixture.

My version of cooking Bittergourd:

Cut the bitter gourd in to thin round circles. Pop them in the microwave and cook for good three minutes. Now in a pan put a teaspoon of oil and fry the bittergourd on both sides till golden brown. Sprinkle some salt and keep a side.

In the same pan, add some more oil and add the chopped onion. Cook until soft and then add the dalia, coconut, red chillie powder and salt. At this point the mixture will be dry, sprinkle few tablespoons of water which will help you make round balls out of it. Finally add the chopped coriander leaves and turn off the stove.

When the mixture is warm enough to handle, make round balls out of it. And serve this with the pan fried bitter gourd and hot rice.

Note:

If you want to take away at least little bit of bitterness from the BG, cook them in water with some salt, tumeric and tamarind. Drain and cut into small circles and pan fry them.

This recipe requires very little oil because we cook the BG in microwave/water. 

Recipe: Amma

 

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