Pavakka Mezhukkupuratti (Kerala Style Bitter Gourd Stir Fry)
Bitter gourd stir-fried with onion, thin coconut pieces, and spices. In Kerala, this dish is popular as Pavakka Mezhukkupuratti. This Bitter Gourd Fry / Karela Fry is a quick and healthy side dish that goes along with rice.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 72kcal
Ingredients
- 3 cup bitter gourd (sliced, from 3 small bitter gourds)
- 1 number onion (big size)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 5 number green chilli
- ¾ cup coconut slices (thinly sliced, or thengakothu)
- salt
- 2 tablespoon Coconut oil / vegetable oil / sunflower oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Instructions
- Prepare ingredients- Wash bitter gourd, cut it in the center. Remove the seeds, but you can use the spongy center. Thinly slice the bitter gourd. Mix the bitter gourd with salt and keep it aside for 30 minutes. This really helps to reduce the bitterness of bitter gourd. Thinly slice the onions. Slit the green chilli. Thinly slice coconut into square bite-size pieces. Check the notes for details on coconut bite-sized pieces.
- Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Then add onion, bitter gourd, coconut pieces, green chilli, curry leaves, turmeric powder, and salt. Adding the onions and coconut pieces helps reduce the bitterness, so never compromise on it.
- Saute over medium heat. Stir in between. Otherwise, it can get burnt. Adjust salt. It might take around 20 minutes. Add oil in between if needed. Fry it until the consistency you need. Serve with rice
Video
Notes
- Cut the bitter gourd into even-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Soak the sliced bitter gourd in salt or tamarind water for 20 to 30 minutes. Both help reduce bitterness before cooking.
- Balance the bitterness while cooking by adding a gooseberry-sized piece of tamarind soaked in water. A small pinch of jaggery also helps round out the flavours.
- Stir often while sautéing so the bitter gourd and other ingredients cook evenly without sticking or burning.
- Add a splash of water only if the pan feels too dry while cooking.
Nutrition
Serving: 100g | Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 347IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.4mg