Pavakkai thokku recipe, bitter gourd masala perfect side dish for rice | roti, recipe with step by step instructions. I came across this easy and yummy pavakkai thokkku recipe on Instagram. My mom makes pavakkai curry so yum and so i like the vegetable pretty well. I have posted bitter gourd fry and another version of pavakkai curry in Jeyashri’s kitchen.
Pavakkai | bitter gourd is always less liked by everyone. Some recipes take that to a different level. Some people won’t cook that in a better way and make it non-palatable. This Pavakkai thokku | bitter gourd masala goes well with roti and even with dosai too. The same recipe can be made using Brinjal | kathirkkai and called as Brinjal thokku.
Pavakkai thokku recipe
- Wash the bitter gourd and slice it into thin semi-circles.
- In a pan add 2 tblsp of sesame oil and cook the bitter gourd. I added a little salt to this while cooking.
- Cook in a medium flame till it becomes soft.
- This took around 15 minutes.
- Take it out and keep aside.
- In the same pan add 1 tblsp oil and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and venthayam (methi seeds).
- When the mustard crackles add the finely chopped onion.
- Saute till it becomes translucent.
- Add 4 garlic cloves. I just sliced it lengthwise as they were slightly big.
- Saute for a minute.
- Add 1 finely chopped tomato. Mix well.
- Now we can add the sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt. Throw in the curry leaves. You can add red chili powder and coriander powder in the ratio of 2:1 instead of sambar powder. Mix well and add ¼ cup of water.
- Let this cook for 5-7 minutes till the oil oozes out and the raw smell of the powder goes off.
- Now add in the cooked bitter gourd.
- Along with this add the tamarind extract. This will reduce the bitterness of the pavakkai.
- Check for salt.
- Add 1 small piece of jaggery. This will balance the taste.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Switch off the flame.
- Serve pavakkai thokku with hot rice or sambar sadam or roti too.
- The tomato and tamarind extract reduces the bitterness of the pavakkai.
- You can add garam masala to the pavakkai thokku
Pavakkai thokku recipe
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups Bitter gourd chopped
- 1 Onion
- 1 Tomato
- 4-5 cloves Garlic
- 3 tsp Sambar powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt as needed
- 3 tblsp sesame oil
- 3 tblsp thick tamarind extract
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp methi seeds
- Jaggery a small piece
- Curry leaves few
Instructions
- Wash the bitter gourd and slice it into thin semi circles.
- In a pan add 2 tblsp of sesame oil and cook the bitter gourd. I added little salt to this while cooking.
- Cook in a medium flame till it becomes soft.
- This took around 15 minutes.
- Take it out and keep aside.
- In the same pan add 1 tblsp oil and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and venthayam (methi seeds).
- When the mustard crackles add the finely chopped onion.
- Saute till it becomes translucent.
- Add 4 garlic cloves. I just sliced it lengthwise as they were slightly big.
- Saute for a minute.
- Add 1 finely chopped tomato. Mix well.
- Now we can add the sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt.
- Throw in the curry leaves.
- You can add red chili powder and coriander powder in the ratio of 2:1 instead of sambar powder.
- Mix well and add ¼ cup of water.
- Let this cook for 5-7 minutes till the oil oozes out and the raw smell of the powder goes off.
- Now add in the cooked bitter gourd.
- Along with this add the tamarind extract. This will reduce the bitterness of the pavakkai.
- Check for salt.
- Add 1 small piece of jaggery. This will balance the taste.
- Mix everything well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Switch off the flame.
- Serve pavakkai thokku with hot rice or sambar sadam or roti too
