Bitter Gourd Gojju

There are different ways to make this. Here are two recipes!

A sure-shot way to get anybody to try Bitter Gourd and to maybe even fall in love with it

Category: South Indian dish

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RECIPE 1

INGREDIENTS

Bitter gourd : 250 gms, diced (do not remove seeds if soft and tender)

Oil : 4-5 tbsp

Onion : 2, diced 

Green chillies : 1-2 chopped 

Curry /rasam powder : 1-2 tbsp (as needed)

Tamarind juice (thick/concentrated) : 1-2 tbsp (to taste) 

Jaggery (pounded) and salt : to taste

Mustard seeds, curry leaves

METHOD :

  1. Heat oil and sputter mustard seeds.

  2. Add onion, chillies, curry leaves and sauté. When onion turns golden colour, add bitter gourd and saute well. Then add curry powder, salt and mix well. Add tamarind juice and sufficient water and continue to cook.

  3. After bitter gourd turns soft add jaggery, adjust taste and cook till done.

    Goes well with rice or as a side dish with rice or roti

RECIPE 2

INGREDIENTS

Bitter gourd : 1 finely chopped 

Onion : 1, chopped

Tomato : 1 chopped

Tamarind paste: to taste 

Jaggery: to taste

For GRINDING :

Coconut: 2 tbsp, grated  

Chilli powder: 1 tsp. 

Jeera: 1 tsp

Fried gram (hurigadale) : 1 tsp 

METHOD :

  1. Heat oil (2-4 tps) and sauté onion, when done, add bitter gourd, and sauté well.

  2. Add tomato and ground masala, salt and when almost done, add tamarind and jaggery and cook till done


    Preparation Time : 30-40 min

INFORMATION

  • Vegan - YES

  • Gluten Free : YES

CALORIES :

1 Katori (small cup) of gojju = ~ 190 cal 

NUTRITIVE VALUE :

Bitter gourd is rich in nutrients ranging from iron, magnesium and vitamin to potassium and vitamin C and is an excellent source of dietary fiber,

One cup (94 grams) of raw bitter gourd provides  : Calories: 20, Carbs: 4 grams, Fiber: 2 grams, Vitamin C: 93% of the RDI**, Vitamin A: 44% of the RDI, Folate: 17% of the RDI, Potassium: 8% of the RDI, Zinc: 5% of the RDI, Iron: 4% of the RDI

HEALTH BENEFITS :

Bitter gourd is known to reduce blood sugar levels (but note that this dish has jaggery). It may have cancer fighting properties and may help reduce cholesterol 

ORIGIN :

Bitter gourd or Karela (Momordica charantia) belongs to Cucurbitaceae family and is related to cucumber and zucchini. It is said to have originated in the South Indian state of Kerala. It later became more widespread, with China first importing the fruit in the 14th century. It then spread to regions of Africa and to the Caribbean.

Water foot print (is litres of water needed to produce the food):

For gourds, squashes, pumpkins : 336 L/Kg

UPCYCLE :

I had run out of jaggery and tried the unthinkable. Icing of a birthday cake was remaining, I added it to the gourd palya in place of jaggery and boom ! It turned out very well, the sugar gave a caramelized, glossy appearance  !

General TIPs :

Wash all the veggies before cutting. Do not soak cut vegetables in water, most of the vitamins and minerals will leach out.

did you know ?

The bitter gourd juice contains twice the calcium of spinach, beta-carotene of broccoli, and the potassium of a banana.

The hangover after alcohol consumption is said to be reduced by bitter gourd juice. It helps detoxifying the liver. 

Bitter gourd is being used in traditional medicines since about 600 years. 

The plant is a creeper having separate male & female flowers, and the female flowers yield the fruits.

references

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bitter-melon#section1

https://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Report47-WaterFootprintCrops-Vol1.pdf

https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-interesting-facts-about-bitter-gourd

SUPERFOODS, CONDIMENTSPadmini SudarshanaSUMMER, SPICY, BITTERComment