Pagarkkai roast/ Bitter gourd roast / Karela roast

Pagarkkai/ Bitter gourd/ Karela was one of the vegetables that I won't touch when I was young. My parents used to make my life hell trying to get it in and so I got into the kitchen one day to innovate my own version of paagarkkai kari when my mom said that I will make it today. I wanted to include sourness and heat to beat the bitterness and ended up with this recipe. It turns out that my brainwave has hit many others before me and I found this recipe to be a common thing in other families too :)

Ingredients:


Pagarkkai / Bittergourd                                                         500 gms
Tamarind                                                                                1 big lemon sized ball
Salt                                                                                         As needed
Red chilli powder                                                                   1.25 tsps

To temper

Canola oil/ Refined sunflower oil                                          2  - 3 tblspns
Mustard seeds                                                                         1/2 tsp


Method

1.) Soak tamarind in hot water to extract tamarind syrup out of it.
2.) Cut and remove seeds in pagarkkai/bittergourd and dice it as small as you can, Take it in a stir fry pan.
3.) Extract tamarind  syrup just enough to immerse and have a whole layer of syrup above the whole of diced pagarkkai/ Bitter-gourd.
4.) Let it simmer in medium heat for around 15 mins until pagarkkai/ bitter-gourd is completely cooked. Now add salt, mix well and let it simmer for 5 more mins.
5.) Remove from heat and drain the tamarind syrup and retain cooked pagarkkai/bitter-gourd.
6.) Wash the stir-fry pan and heat it on the stove. When it is completely dry and hot, add 2 tblspns of oil and mustard seeds to splutter.
7.) Reduce the heat to low and add the cooked drained pagarkkai/bitter gourd. Mix well and add red chilli powder, mix well again.
8.) Bring the heat to medium and let it cook for 10-15 more mins, giving it a good mix every 2 mins. If you think you will be needing any more oil. add the other tblspn . It entirely is your judgement call. Turn off the stove

Pagarkkai roast/ Bitter gourd roast is ready to be served with paruppu saadham, sambhar sadham/ sambhar rice, rasam rice and curd rice. This is the most palatable version of pagarkkai that I have ever had.