Pavakka Kichadi

Bitter gourd and me have had issues for long and till date it has not changed but yeah resolved a bit with time. I love it fried, in the form of Kondattam. So these bitter gourd are not frequently seen in my kitchen.

But when Onam comes and you have to make a khichadi, I get these and make it this way. It has a bit of frying involved which makes it less bitter, so we get to enjoy it with the sadya. This is how I make it.

Ingredients

1. 2 Bitter gourd/ Pavakka, thinly sliced
2. 3 green chillies, slit
3. 3/4 cup of grated coconut
4. 1/2 of mustard seeds
5. 1 1/2 cup of yogurt
6. Salt to taste
7. Oil for frying Bitter gourd

For tempering

1. 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
2. 2-3 shallots, sliced
3. 2-3 dry red chillies
4. 1 strand of curry leaves
5. 1 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil

Method

• Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, turn it down to medium heat. Fry the sliced bitter gourd in it untill they are golden brown in colour.
• Remove the fried bitter gourd on to a plate lined with tissue paper. 
• Fry the green chillies in the same oil.
• Crush the mustard seeds in a blender to break them open. Remove it in a bowl.
• In the blender, grind the grated coconut to a paste consistency by adding couple of tbsps of drinking water. Remove it into the bowl of crushed mustard seeds.
• In the same bowl, take the fried bitter gourd, fried green chillies, yogurt and salt. Mix it all well.
• For the tempering, take the oil in a pan. Once hot, add the mustard seeds and wait for it to pop. Add the sliced shallots, curry leaves and red chillies and fry it. Pour it on top of the bitter gourd mixture. Serve it with rice.

Tips

1. You could use Pavakka kondattam for an instant version of this pachadi.