September 11, 2009

Bitter Gourd Gravy( Pulusu)


I wouldn't call this a pulusu actually. But it is more like a rich gravy kind of thing. It happens to be one of my mother-in-law's recipe. She uses the bitter gourd just like a regular veggie and she doesn't remove the bitterness from the vegetable unlike my mom who has a separate procedure to remove the bitterness from the vegetable. But I like to use my MIL's recipe as it is quite healthy eaten in this way without the bitterness taken.

There are many benefits from eating a bitter gourd. They have therapeutic properties like they are known to be an effective blood purifier, improves digestion and packed with minerals and vitamins.For people with diabetes it is associated with lowering blood sugar levels. Anyway if you readers have your own insight about bitter gourd please feel free to share it.


Whenever shopping for bitter gourd look for young immature ones ie it holds a dark green skin color, have firm skin, ripe ones have soft skin,when you cut it inside they should have white seeds and not orange or red color. When they are this color they are all the more bitter and very ripe. Try not to fry your bitter gourd too much as it kills all the nutrients in it.

Ingredients
onion - 2 tblsp
Bitter gourd - 2
tomato - 1

Paste
Heat a little oil. Fry in the given order. Make it into a paste.Keep ready.
cumin - 10 seeds
dhania - 1 tsp
garlic - 4
ginger - 1 tsp grated
red chillies - 3
coconut - 4 tsp

Method
Heat little oil. Pop mustard seeds, add curry leaves and fry onions.Now add thinly sliced bitter gourd pieces. Fry for a bit.Mix tamarind paste(1/2 tsp to 1 tsp).Now add 1 cup of water and stir.Close and cook till done.
Fry the ground masala paste till it changes color and becomes lil thick .
Now add tomatoes, fry for few min till they turn soft.
Now combine the (tomato+fried paste) to the bitter gourd gravy and add water to make it a rich gravy. Boil this gravy till bubbly and garnish with coriander.

5 comments:

Linda said...

I really enjoy the tips on bitter gourd as I am a little hesitant to buy them -- I have only tried it once and it was a baked chips sort of recipe from Indira. I think I could try this gravy when the weather turns a little cooler :)

Loved your idli snack pic on the pretty tablecloth too!

BDSN said...

Thanks Linda. I have tried the baked chips from this veggie once before from Kay's blog and turned out good. I have posted it in my blog too. It came out pretty well.

Thanks for your comment on my idli snack. But the tablecloth you mentioned, is actually not a tablecloth, it is the top of a box..

spice and more said...

looks yummy...I will have to try this the next time I buy some bitter gourd. I like the idea of chips made with them, but like you I think that too much frying probably kills of all the good things in it!

BDSN said...

Thanks.. Please do try and let me know how it came. Because this recipe is just good as it is. It might taste bitter but once you get used to bitterness you will in fact love it..Iam sorry the photo doesn't do justice to the taste of this dish..

BDSN said...

Thanks for dropping by Suchitra!