Pavakkai Thokku/ BitterGourd Pickle
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 cup
 
Ingredients
  • Bitter Gourd – 2
  • Yogurt – 1 tbsp
  • Sesame Oil – 2 – 3 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Fenugreek Seeds – ½ tsp
  • Whole Red Chillies - 2
  • Curry leaves – 1 Sprig
  • Sambar powder – 1 tbsp
  • Chilli powder – 2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  • Tamarind – 1 lemon Size
  • Salt – to taste
  • Grated Jaggery – 1 tbsp
  • Hing – a pinch
Instructions
  1. Wash bitter gourd and thinly slice them into circles. Discard any seeds. Soak the bitter gourd in curd, turmeric and 1 tbsp of salt for 20 minutes.
  2. Soak the tamarind in 1.5 cups of water and extract the juice.
  3. Dry roast the mustard seeds with fenugreek seeds for 30 seconds in medium-low flame. Blend or use a mortar pestle to grind them into powder.
  4. Now take a pan with 2 tbsp of oil in medium flame, add the red chillies,curry leaves and hing. When red chillies changes color, now squeeze out the juice from the marination of bitter gourd with your hands and add them into the pan. Saute for 20 seconds.
  5. Then add sambar powder, chilli powder, slat and the sauté them in oil keeping the flame in medium.
  6. When the bittergourd stir fried with the spices, add the tamarind extract and fenugreek mustard seeds powder. Mix well and close it with the lid. Keep the flame low and allow the whole mixture to get thicken and become like a thick thokku. It might take 20-25 minutes. It will be only ¼ th of the whole quantity you saw before 20 minutes. t will start to ooze out oil in the sides at a stage and will become a thick paste.
  7. Add grated jaggery and mix well. Switch off the flame.
  8. Cool it completely, store it in air tight container by topping 1 tbsp of oil at the end. The oil is added for the shelf life. Store it in an air tight container for 2- 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
Sour curd and turmeric takes out the bitterness.
Oil topped at the end is for shelf life. If you are going to finish it in 2 days, you need not add the oil.
Recipe by Relish The Bite at https://www.relishthebite.com/pavakkai-thokku-bittergourd-pickle/