Paavakkai (bittergourd) Thokku
ground bittergourd
I learned this recipe from my mom. She found a way to make me eat bittergourd😄. Now I follow this to make my kid eat bittergourd😉. It is tasty, helathy and goes with anything from bread to upma. Shelf life is upto a month. Enjoy! P.S - I don't know the english name for "thokku". It falls under picke category😆
What you will need
500 grams bittergourd, chopped
Tamarind - size of a lemon (aprx 25 grams)
Dried red chillies 12
Salt to taste
Mustard 1 tsp
Turmeric powder & Asafoetida - a pinch
Sesame oil - 200 ml
How to cook
1
Soak & extract 2 cups of tamarind juice. Mix & pressure cook tamarind juice, bittergourd & chilli for 5 whistles. You can also cook them on stovetop until the bittergourd becomes soft.
2
Once it is cooked, let it cool down to room temperature. Add salt & grind it to a smooth paste.
3
Heat oil. Add mustard, turmeric, asafoetida and the ground bittergourd mixture.
4
Now, this mixture is going to jump all over your kitchen. So cook it in a low flame with the lid on (don't tell me i din't warn u😉). Every 3 minutes, remove from flame & give it a mix to avoid splattering. Again put in on flame & close it.
5
Continue this way until the oil starts to separate (aprx. 40 minutes). Cook for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
6
The end product consistency will be like a thick paste (refer video). Remove from flame. Cool it to room temperature. Refrigerate it in airtight container.
7
Tip - if you dont like the bitterness, you can add half a cup of jaggery while grinding the bittergourd.
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