HAGALAKAYI GOJJU / BITTER GOURD CURRY

Today I have for you all Hagalakayi Gojju / Bitter gourd curry, my dad's recipe of preparing gojju with hagalakayi / bitter gourd. In our home we all are fans to this dish.

I know many will not like the taste of bitter gourd, but I just love to eat it (even raw) as at our home my parents have always thought us to eat raw vegetables from our childhood. Though they taste very bitter, Bitter gourd contains a train of important nutrients, and health benefits. It helps in maintaining blood sugar levels...and the list goes on...

But if you don’t like the taste of bitter gourd / hagalakayi but want to add it in your diet, then try this recipe for sure. Let's get started...

HAGALAKAYI GOJJU / BITTER GOURD CURRY

Ingredients

3 Cups- Chopped bitter gourd/ Hagalakayi (2-3 in nos)

1 Tsp - Turmeric

1 Tbsp + 1/8th cup - Oil

1 Cup - Tamarind Juice

1/3 Cup - Jaggery

1 Tbsp - Rasam Powder

1 Tbsp - Red chilli Powder

Water as required

Salt to taste

Grinding:

1/2 Tsp - Pepper

1/2 Tbsp - Cumin Seeds

1/2 Tbsp - Black Sesame seeds

1/2 Cup - Desiccated Coconut

Tempering:

1 Tsp - Oil

1 Tsp - Mustard seeds

1 Tsp - Cumin seeds

1/4 Tsp - Methi/fenugreek seeds

10-12 - Curry leaves

1 - Red chilli

1/4 Tsp - Asafoetida

Method

Step 1

Add turmeric and 1 Tbsp oil to the chopped bitter gourd / hagalakayi and mix well. Keep it aside for 10-15 minutes

Step 2

Dry roast cumin and pepper. Once cumin turns golden add sesame seeds and roast till sesame starts to splutter and keep it aside, dry roast desiccated coconut once it turns golden add all the roasted ingredients and blend it to fine powder.

Step 3

Add 1/8th cup of oil in a pan and add bitter gourd / hagalakayi, little salt mix well. Cover and cook for 3 minutes (check in between). Roast well till brown spots appear. Keep it aside.

Step 4

In a pan add tamarind juice and jaggery mix well and cover lid and let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Add Rasam powder and red chilli powder, mix well.

Step 5

Add roasted bitter gourd / hagalakayi, mix well and add water. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add ground cumin, pepper, and sesame powder.

Add salt to taste, cover & simmer for 2 minutes. It gets cooked and becomes little thick. Switch off the flame.

Step 6

Heat oil for tempering, add mustard seeds, cumin, methi seeds, curry leaves, red chilli and Asafoetida. Add the prepared tempering to Hagalakayi gojju / Bitter gourd curry, mix well.

Hagalakayi gojju / bitter gourd curry is ready to serve with rice / roti / chapati.

Notes

According to my dad, we add turmeric and oil and rest it for 10-15 minutes to reduce the bitterness of the hagalakayi / bitter gourd.

When you roast the bitter gourd / hagalakayi it becomes little crispy and enhances the taste of the gojju.

Adjust the spiciness as per your requirements.

You can dry roast Urad dal along with cumin and pepper.