Pavakkai (Bitter Gourd) Stuffed Fry

Ingredients

• Pavakkai (Bitter Gourd / Karela) - 3 medium sized
• Salt to Taste
• Oil- 7 tsp

For Stuffing

• Fried Gram Flour Powder (pottu kadalai/ tala hua besan) - 3 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1.5 tsp
• Corainder Powder - 1.5 tsp
• Fried Cumin (jeera) Powder - 1.5 tsp
• Parappu Podi - 1.5 tsp
• Tamarind Juice - 1.5 tsp
• Shallots - 3 tbsp finely chopped
• Fennel Seeds Powder (optional)- 1 tsp

Procedure

Cut the pavakkai (bitter gourd) into 1/2 inch slices and de-seed the slices. Cook with salt. The pavakkai should be half cooked.

• 3 pavakkai (bitter gourd) medium sized
• salt as per taste

Mix the ingredients listed under stuffing. Fill each of the pavakkai slices with stuffing as shown.

• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 3 tsp fried gram flour powder (pottu kadalai/ tala hua besan)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp red chilli powder
• 1.5 tsp coriander powder
• 1.5 tsp fried cumin (jeera) powder
• 1 tsp fennel seeds powder
• 1.5 tsp parappu podi
• 1.5 tsp tamarind juice
• 3 tbsp shallots finely chopped
• half cooked pavakkai from previous step

Heat a kadhai with 5 tsp of oil. Arrange the stuffed pavakkai as shown. Let it cook on simmer for 10 min until the contents get roasted. Now turn the pavakkai over. Add another 2 tsp of oil and let the ingredients get roasted on the other side for 10 minutes. Note: The pavakkai can also be arrange on a tava(instead of a kadhai) and kept on the stove to reduce the amount of oil used.

• 7 tsp oil
• stuffed pavakkai from previous step

The stuffed pavakkai fry is ready to be served hot with sambhar rice or curd rice or lemon/tamarind/tomato rice! This side dish is versatile in its ability to go with many foods :)