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