Mahadeva's Bhaga Sasthra
140. Bitter Gourd Kootu
Ingredients:
Bitter Gourd - 18 palam Lemon - 3 Powdered Salt - ¼ palam Water - ½ padi Red Chilly - ⅛ palam
| Pepper | - ¼ palam |
|---|---|
| Black Gram | - 1½ palam |
| Grated Coconut | - 2½ palam |
| Cleaned Sesame Seed | - ½ palam |
| Water | - ¼ padi |
| Tamarind | - 1 padi |
| Powdered Salt | - ¾ palam |
| Curry Leaves | - ¼ palam |
| Ghee | - ½ palam |
| Red Chilly | - ⅛ palam |
| Mustard Seed | - ⅛ palam |
| Black Gram | - ¼ palam |
- 1. Cut the bitter gourd as round pieces and take in a lead coated vessel. Take the juice from lemon and add to the cut bitter gourd.
- 2. Add the salt to the bitter gourd and gently mix with soft hand for 24 minutes. Marinate for 15 minutes and squeeze the juice. By doing this the bitterness will be reduced.
- 3. Take water in a lead coated vessel that can hold 1 ½ padi of water and add the bitter gourd into it and boil to cook.
- 4. Fry chilli, pepper, black gram, grated coconut and cleaned sesame seed one by one using a little ghee or oil and grind them into a nice paste adding a little water.
- 5. Take water and tamarind in a lead coated vessel and blend nicely, take the extract and add to the cooked bitter gourd. When the it is nicely cooked add the ground masala and mix.
- 6. Add the powdered salt to the kootu and allow it to thicken. Saute curry leaves and add.
- 7. Season using ghee,red chilly,mustard and black gram follow the 22nd recipe and add to the kootu.
- 8. Optional: Cook ⅛ padi of pigeon pea and add to the kootu when the vegetable/tuber is nicely cooked and before adding masala. While adding the curry leaves a handful of ground nut fried either in oil or ghee can also be added.