Pavakkai fry - Let's see how to make Bitter gourd stir fry recipe with step by step pictures. Lots of onion and spice powder along with curd suppress the bitterness.
You can make this for Lunch as accompaniment for sambar rice or any other gravy.
Check out my Bitter gourd podi for rice and Pavakka pitail recipe in this website.
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I have never liked pavakkai in my life until I started making crispy bitter gourd fries (pavakka chips). And thought I will like it only if I make it that way deep fried. But recently, after watching a TV show, my MIL asked me to try it that way.
Since I too liked the recipe, tried it. I made it twice now and totally loving it. I could not believe I am cooking pavakkai and I am eating too. Vj too liked it who has same thoughts about pavakai like me. I am so glad I tried this one and once again, thanks to mami. Try this out, you would love too if you have any wrong impression about bitter gourd.
Instructions
1. Wash firstly and thinly slice pavakkai as shown in the picture. Discard any seeds if its there.
2. Soak this sliced pavakkai in curd and salt for 15 mins. Thinly slice onion too. Heat kadai with oil and temper with mustard, jeera.
3. Add onion and fry till dark golden brown, taking care not to burn the onion.
4. Add cut bitter gourd, squeezed out from the curd, turmeric, sambar powder. Add salt if needed.
5. Mix well and keep the flame in medium. Cook covered for 4 minutes.
6. Add oil little and keep frying until the bitter gourd turns deep brown in colour and gets cooked as you stir fry.
Add oil little by little as you fry.
Serve as accompaniment for rice with sambar, rasam or curd rice.
Recipe card
Pavakkai fry recipe | Bitter Gourd Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 cups Bitter gourd thinly sliced into circles
- 1 cup Curd sour ones work best
- 2 tablespoon Sambar powder
- 2 Onion
- ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- Salt
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ½ cup Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
Instructions
- Wash and thinly slice pavakkai as shown in the picture. Discard any seeds if its there.
- Soak this sliced pavakkai in curd and salt for 15 mins. Thinly slice onion too.
- Heat kadai with oil and temper with mustard, jeera.
- Add onion and fry till dark golden brown, taking care not to burn the onion.
- After that, add bitter gourd, squeezed out from the curd, followed by turmeric, sambar powder. Add salt as needed.
- Mix well and keep the flame in medium. Cook covered for 4 minutes.
- Add oil little and keep frying until the bitter gourd turns deep brown in colour and gets cooked as you stir fry.
- Add oil little by little as you fry.
Notes
- Onion must be more for good taste and flavor.
- Also browning both onion and the bitter gourd only brings the taste.
- Using sour curd is important for taking out the bitterness.
- If you feel the bitterness is still there more, add some tamarind juice or lemon juice while frying. But you have to balance the spice too accordingly.
Torviewtoronto says
looks healthy and delicious
jeyashri suresh says
Pavakkai curry is my fav and my mom makes it so yum. We add tamarind extract. Curd sounds interesting too. Drooling
sankar saranya says
Thanks for doing this pavakai, I also never tried . Healthy dish
Preetha Soumyan says
Wow.. pretty idea of serving this bitter veggie... loved it
Tech Dynamo says
This is looking so yumm, I have tried it and my brother and my mother loved it !! Thank you
Anonymous says
Marinating in sour curd is something new..looks yummy
Anonymous says
I love pavakkai fry...specially the one that my grandmother makes...she simply cuts it in to tiny pieces, adds oil, red chilli powder, salt, hing...and fries it on low heat...its awesome specially with curd rice!
Yum!
Shobha
prabha jayaram says
Thank you for sharing this. I tried this recipe it's crispy and delicious.
gangaa subaraj says
Can we do anything with the left over curd after squeezing the bitter gourd out?
Raks anand says
No Ideas. If you are concerned use less and try adding lemon juice.
jyotsna says
Tried this last week, turned out really well. Didn't become crisp. Drank up the leftover/ squeezed out yogurt.
Devaraj Somugopal says
Excellent, I followed the process, I came very well. Thanks
Sandhya Pravin Charuvila says
Thanks
Sandhya Pravin Charuvila says
Thanks for the recipe
Radhika Ashok Anand says
My mom makes pavakkai kootu - with tamarind juice, toor dal, jaggery, ground coconut and ofcourse pavakkai. It hardly tastes bitter. Healthier than the fry. Try it.
Anitha Perumalsamy says
Hi Raji,
Best way to give onion with bitter gourd to my kid.
Tried and came out well.
Thanks,
Anitha Perumalsamy says
Hi Raji,
Best way to give onion with bitter gourd to my kid.
Tried and came out well.
Thanks,
Raks anand says
I already have one 🙂 https://rakskitchen.net/crispy-bitter-gourd-fries-karela-fries-pavakkai-varuval/
Priya Dharshini says
Hi ma'am,
I'm awaiting bitter gourd pakoda recipe in your blog eagerly coz I love that a lot...
Thanks in advance
chandrika says
Hi, thanks for the recipe. Tried it this morning. 🙂
The vegetable still seemed a bit bitter but I guess there is a reason why the vegetable is named "bitter gourd". 😉
manju says
Hi raks..saw ur recipe..am sure it tastes good..but just a small suggestion..u r actually removing all the nutrients in this recipe
.first of all u have removed all the juice n then over cooking it kills the highly nutritious vegetable..pls don't take it personally..
leena shyam says
Love it
MS says
Tried it and turned awesome.Thanks for the recipe.
Gayathiri Mani says
Can I use sour cream instead of curd?
Prateeksha Hosapattankar says
Yesterday on Yugadi festival I tried this, by looking at one of the above comment I tried with tamarind paste (curd was not available) it came out very well :* My husband loved it and me also for not giving bitter taste. Thank you so much.
santhiya santhiya says
Awesome tried it
SBRJ says
Traditional method. sounds good.
Divya nandhini ts says
I tried it today, I love Pagarkai so much this style of recipe is different and healthy, my family enjoyed.
Benedict Joseph says
It is supposed to be bitter..removing all the bitterness removes its herbal benefits as well...its purpose is lost.
Sneha Nambiar says
Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe. Buttermilk did not remove the bitterness but it was really tasty.
Raks Anand says
Thank you for your feedback 🙂