Kakara Kaya Vepudu – Bitter Gourd Stir fry

As a child, just hearing the word ‘Kakarakaya’ aka ‘bitter-gourd’ from my mother would keep me away from the day’s meal. It was only as a young teenager that I began to start liking it ever since I tasted a bitter-gourd stir fry with toasted cashewnuts at a cousin’s wedding. I would never have tasted it had I known it was bitter gourd. It didn’t look like bitter gourd that I disliked but with pleasing looks, an appetite-pleasing vegetable stir fry, cashewnuts and all. When told it was kakarakaya vepudu, with disbelief writ on my face, I asked for a second helping. My love for this knobbly, bitter-tasting vegetable grew leaps and bounds since then.

Sometimes we’re hesitant to give vegetables that we are resistant to, a second chance to prove themselves. Bitter gourd haters, maybe you should give bitter gourd a second try, you’ll be sold forever.  And those with diabetes should definitely give bitter gourd high priority in their daily meals.Ingredients:

Ingredients:

1/4 kg bitter gourd, peel, slice into rounds

big pinch turmeric pwd

1 1/2 tbsp tamarind paste (adjust)

2 medium onions, finely sliced

1-2 tsps sugar

1 1/2 tbsps oil

 4-5 Garlic pods

 salt to taste

For seasoning/poppu/tadka:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

10-12 curry leaves

Dry roast and make a fine powder:

1 tsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

2 dry red chillies

pinch of fenugreek seeds/methi

1 Add two cups of water, tamarind paste, turmeric and salt to the peeled bittergourd rounds. Cook for 15 mts or till the bitter gourds are three-fourth cooked. Drain any left over water and keep aside the cooked bitter gourd pieces.
2 Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Add the curry leaves  and stir fry for a few seconds. Add garlic podsand the sliced onions and fry for 6-7 mts till they turn brown.
3 Add the ground spice pwd and suger and combine well.
4 Add the cooked bitter gourds and stir fry. Constantly stir fry on medium heat ensuring they don’t burn or stick to the pan. Keep frying till they well roasted and this could take about 15-18 mts.
5 Adust salt and serve hot with rice.