HEALTHY RECIPE WITH BITTER GOURD - BITTER GOURD PICKLE

BITTER GOURD RECIPE

Bitter gourd/ bitter melon/ kaipakka is an excellent source of various vitamins and is high in dietary fibre. Bitter gourd contains twice the calcium of spinach, twice the beta-carotene of broccoli and twice the potassium of a banana. Moreover, the insulin-like compound in Bitter melon is suggested as insulin replacement in diabetics patient.Some of the health benefits of bitter gourd are as follows - bitter gourd helps to kill cancer cells, it helps in treating blood disorders, it is beneficial to diabetic patients, it helps to improve eyesight, it helps in boosting the immune system, it is beneficial for respiratory disorders and much more. It is better to drink bitter melon juice than using bitter melon in any dishes. But as it tastes bitter, we refused to drink bitter melon juice. So here is my simple, yummy and healthy recipe with bitter gourd. Though the vitamins and enzymes will get destroyed in heat, you will still benefit a lot from its minerals and phytonutrients. This pickle with bitter gourd is very healthy when compared to other pickles. Here all the ingredients are cooked together in a clay pot until done and finally tempering the pickle with very less oil. Still, it tastes very delicious and is very less bitter too. So let us see how to make bitter gourd pickle / kaipakka achar.

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INGREDIENTS

Bitter gourd / kaipakka / pavakka - 3 nos, sliced and chopped 

Onion - 1, big, chopped finely

Garlic - 1 pod, chopped

Green chilies  - 2 nos, slit

Tomato - 2, small, chopped

Tamarind/puli - a lemon sized, soaked in water and take its thick juice

Chili powder - 3 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Water - 1 cup

Salt

To temper

Fenugreek seed - half tsp 

Mustard seed - quarter tsp

Curry leaves

Oil

PREPARATION

Please click the below video for the detailed recipe video

• In a clay pot (manchatti), add all the ingredients one by one. Mix well with a spoon. Add a cup of water and switch on the flame. Cover it and cook until the gravy thickens and the bitter gourd is done. (it will take around 15 to 20 minutes over a medium-low flame).
• When done, remove from flame.
• In a pan, heat 2 tsp of coconut oil. Add fenugreek seed and mustard seeds. Let it splutter over a medium flame. Add curry leaves and pour this over the prepared bitter gourd pickle. Close it with a lid and for best result let it stay aside for 2 hours. 
• You can store this pickle in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for weeks.