Easy bitter gourd recipe

Easy South Indian style bitter gourd recipe that’s not bitter!

Can you make bitter gourd taste NOT bitter without the use of any kind of sweeteners? Yes, you can! Try this recipe to find out for yourself 🙂 I first made this on a whim, thinking all the flavours would go well together and it sure did! It is something that I now regularly prepare.

If your only deterrent to trying out bitter gourd is the fact that it’s bitter, give this recipe a try, I promise you, if you follow the instructions, the final product will NOT be bitter AT ALL! Stir frying the finely chopped bitter gourd until it turns slightly brown around the edges, magically makes it less bitter. Combine it with Indian buttermilk(or sour yogurt) which further reduces the bitterness. The result is a delicious, refreshing side dish to go with rice that is perfect for the summers!

Here is another bitter gourd recipe to try, sweet and sour Mangalore style bittergourd palya, definitely give this a try too! SO good!

Tips

• Chop bitter gourd into tiny pieces. Tiny pieces can be browned using very little oil and once fried, bitter gourd tastes less bitter.
• Do not crowd the pan, I used a 10 inch pan for 1 1/2 cups of bitter gourd.
• Fry onions and bitter gourd separately. Bitter gourd will need longer to brown.

Easy bitter gourd recipe

Shwetha

South Indian style easy bitter gourd recipe made with sour yogurt/Indian buttermilk.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

  

• 1½ cups bitter gourd 120g, finely chopped
• 1 cup onions finely chopped
• 1 green chilli or to taste
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup yogurt or two cups Indian buttermilk/chaas/majjige
• 1 cup water to thin the yogurt, not needed if using Indian buttermilk

Spices

• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal split de-husked black gram
• 2 dry red chilli
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• salt
• 1 sprig curry leaves optional

Instructions

 

• Add 1 cup of water into 1 cup of sour/tart yogurt. Whisk/blend smooth. Instead you can also use 2 cups of Indian buttermilk for the best results. Set aside.
• Thinly slice bitter gourd vertically and then horizontally into tiny pieces as shown in the picture.
  
• In a heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil on medium heat. Add in black mustard seeds, urad dal and dry red chillies. When mustard splutters, add cumin seeds and stir for half a minute. Add in curry leaves.

  NOTE: Take care not to burn the spices.
• Now add in chopped onions and green chilli and fry until onions are translucent.
• Add turmeric and salt to taste. Stir for half a minute. Remove the onions and spices into the yogurt.
• Next, into the same pan add remaining oil and add finely chopped bitter gourd. Stir on medium heat until the sides of bitter gourd turn golden, can turn crispy too.

  NOTE: Do not cut short this step. Frying bitter gourd until they turn golden tames down the bitterness.
• When bitter gourd turns golden brown around the edges, add ½ tsp salt and stir for a minute. Transfer fried bitter gourd into the yogurt mixture.
  
• If the yogurt wasn't quite tart, squeeze in some lemon juice. Taste and add more salt if needed. Enjoy at room temperature or chilled. Serve with rice!

Video

Notes

• If yogurt is not tart, leaving it out at room temperature for a few hours will help in increasing the tartness. 

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