Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Hagalkayi Palya (Bittermelon stirfry)

HAPPY NEW YEAR ..

 I am starting the new year with a bitter dish to balance out the cakes/pastries ate during new year and Christmas celebrations :) . BTW, I always try Chinese bitter gourd or bitter melon as they are comparatively less bitter than Indian ones ;)

Ingredients:
For coarse spice powder:
Grated coconut: 3 tbsp
Rasam powder: 1 tbsp

For stir-fry
Bittergourd: 2 cups (deseeded & finely chopped)
Turmeric: 2 big pinches
Oil: 1.5 tbsp
Tamarind powder or very thick tamarind paste: 1 tbsp
Jaggery/Brown Sugar: 1 tbsp
Curry leaves: a sting
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Urad dal: 1 tsp (optional)
Asafetida: a pinch
Broken red chilli: 1
Salt: According to taste
Cilantro: 2 tbsp


Method:
  • Mix a tsp of salt & turmeric to the bitter gourd pieces & allow it to leave water for 20-30mins. 
  • Squeeze the water from th bittergourd &discard the water. This procedure is said to reduce the bitterness in the gourd.
  • Heat a broad pan, add oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, add curry leaves, asafetida, urad dal, broken red chilli & saute for 10secs. 
  • Add the bitter gourd & mix well. Allow the bitter gourd to get cooked for 5mins. 

  • Meantime, make a coarse powder of the coconut & the rasam powder(Do not add water).
  • Once the bitter gourd is half cooked, add the tamarind powder, salt (note salt is added before too), jaggery, the prepared coarse powder & mix well. Cook for another 5-7mins.
  • Turn off the flame, garnesh with coriander leaves/cilantro & serve with rice or roti.

Notes:
  1. Chinese bittermelon oozes out a lot of water while cooking. Hence, there is no need to add water while cooking. However, Indian bittergourd might need few teaspoons of water.
  2. The palya is supposed to be dry. So, donot make the tamarind paste or spice paste/powder watery.

    18 comments:

    1. Happy New Year Sushma... Love Hagalkai.. Yum...

      ReplyDelete
    2. Lovely colorful pics...well captured.... Even I had a bitter gourd prep in my draft from many months now.... but I always tend to post pone posting them....as they are bitter..... Funny na!!!!!

      Ash....
      (http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

      ReplyDelete
    3. Lovely colorful pics...well captured.... Even I had a bitter gourd prep in my draft from many months now.... but I always tend to post pone posting them....as they are bitter..... Funny na!!!!!

      Ash....
      (http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

      ReplyDelete
    4. nice way to eat bittergourd. looks so yummy :)

      ReplyDelete
    5. Delicious stir fry, looks prefect as side dish for any rice dish..

      ReplyDelete
    6. This is one vegetable i cannot eat! No matter how much bella you add!! Happy new year!

      ReplyDelete
    7. Hagalakayi palya chennagide. I don't like hagalakayi though.

      ReplyDelete
    8. Loooooooooooooooooooooooks tooo tempting .. Happy New Year!!!

      ReplyDelete
    9. photos superagi bandide ri. Palya looks yummo!

      ReplyDelete
    10. Chinese bittermelon used to be our favorite when i was staying der...u r reminding me again abt that pretty looking vegetable....yummy curry..

      ReplyDelete
    11. I love Hagalakai... This is a slight variant of what we prepare at home.... looks great...

      ReplyDelete
    12. looks delicious..am really craving for something bitter and spicy like this you know,,after all the sweets for the new year....

      ReplyDelete
    13. Happy new year to you. I love hagalkai playa. looks good

      ReplyDelete
    14. lovely and delicious and quite healthy too.

      ReplyDelete
    15. I can never eat hagalkai no matter how much i try. I've bought that so many times and let it rot. But Chinese bittermelon seems like a tempting alternative. Should try it out!

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    16. Gorgeous pictures...stir fry looks mouth watering!

      ReplyDelete
    17. This is the only way I make my Haagalkayi gojju, looks mouthwatering! :)

      ReplyDelete

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