Bitter Gourd Fry / Pavakai Varuval

Bitter Gourd Fry / Pavakkai Varuval

Recipe Details

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Ingredients

• Bitter gourd / Pavakkai – 3
• Oil – 3 tsp
• Sambar powder – 1 tbsp
• Salt – to taste
• Ghee – 1 tsp

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Preparation

1. Wash and dry the bitter gourds.
2. Trim the ends and cut the bitter gourds into small, evenly sized pieces.

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Cooking Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped bitter gourd and salt.
3. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently so the pieces cook evenly and do not stick to the pan.
4. Cook until the bitter gourd becomes soft and tender. For this recipe, it does not need to become crisp.
5. Reduce the heat to low and add the sambar powder and ghee.
6. Mix well so the bitter gourd is evenly coated with the seasoning.
7. Cook for another 5 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
8. Taste and adjust the salt if needed, then remove from the heat.

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Tips

Cook Until Soft: I prefer this bitter gourd fry soft rather than crispy. The tender pieces mix especially well with hot rice.

Ghee: Adding a little ghee toward the end gives the dish a richer flavor and helps balance the natural bitterness of the pavakkai.

Sambar Powder: Add the sambar powder only after the bitter gourd is mostly cooked so the spices do not burn during the longer cooking time.

Stir Frequently: Bitter gourd can catch at the bottom of the pan as the moisture evaporates, so stir it regularly while cooking.

Serving Suggestion

Serve Bitter Gourd Fry with hot steamed white rice and a little ghee. It also goes well with sambar rice, rasam rice, curd rice, or chapati.

Recipe Source: From my Mom’s Kitchen.