Kakarakaya Pulusu || Andhra style bitter gourd gravy

 Kakarakaya Pulusu || Andhra style bitter gourd curry with step by step pics and tips. It is very tasty and healthy recipe with less bitterness, its spicy and aromatic. I am not big fan of bitter gourd in my childhood but d't know how it became one of my favorite veggie now 😃😍. We can have this kakarakaya pulusu with rice and roti's. We can prepare this bitter gourd pulusu in different ways --

 1)by deep frying bitter gourd 

2) by shallow frying bitter gourd

3) by cooking bitter gourd directly ..

 Today I am sharing 3rd way by cooking directly with onions & tomatoes. In this way we will feel very little bitter taste, if you d't want to taste bitterness then deep fry bitter gourd pieces. Instead of deep frying I soaked bitter gourd pieces in buttermilk for 30 min, check recipes for more tips. We can adjust this pulusu/ gravy consistency as per your wish. Hubby was on trip so I prepared it bit thick, as I have to finish it by myself . stuffed bitter gourd is my all time favorite recipe which I love to have it as side dish for rasam rice, sambar rice and curd rice. Did you ever tried this kakarakaya podi / bitter gourd podi ?? if not try it once surely you will love it. sanna kakarakaya fry / tiny bitter gourd fry / kasarakaya fry is  Rayalaseema's popular bitter gourd recipe. 

Do check out some bitter gourd recipes, Rasam/ Dal / Kuzhumbu recipes from our  youtube  channel and blog by just clicking below links..

**  stuffed bitter gourd

** kakarakaya podi / bitter gourd podi

** sanna kakarakaya fry / tiny bitter gourd fry /kasarakaya fry 

** Hyderabadi kadhu ka dalcha(youtube link)

**  Lemon Rasam(youtube link)

** Pudina charu / mint rasam

** usirikaya charu/ Amla Rasam

** Udupi saaru / udupi style rasam

** Miriyala Charu / pepper rasam

** Drumstick Rasam

** Sundakkai Vatha Kuzhambu || Usthikaya pulusu

**   Mamidikaya pappu

** Menthi akku pappu  

Event : Shhhhh Secretly cooking challenge

Taking this cool cool mango matka kulfi to "Shhhhh Secretly cooking challenge" fb group started by Priya, and taken further till date by Mayuri di, I bookmarked her baked apple to try soon. Do check her space for wonderful recipes. We completed recipes from all states from A to Z, so now admin team and members decided a new interesting way for monthly theme that is - one group member in alphabetical order will suggest theme. Later admin team will pair interested members, then we share 2 secret ingredients among us and prepare recipe using it and all other members will guess it.

                                     

This month theme "Fear not the bitter" was suggested by Seema. She suggested to prepare any recipe using bitter ingredients, so I planned this kakarakaya pulusu recipe. I bookmarked her karela ka bartha recipe to try. This month I am paired with "Priya Iyer" who blogs at "thephotowali". She shares healthy recipes from different regions, I bookmarked her latest basil cream sauce pasta to try soon. Priya gave tamarind & jaggery as secret ingredients, in turn I gave methi leaves & turmeric as two secret ingredients.she prepared tasty and delicious methi malai paneer, do check out her space.

                  Kakarakaya Pulusu/ Andhra Bitter gourd gravy  

Preparation time : 20 minutes

Cook Time : 20 minutes

Serves : 2

Category : Dal/Sambar/Rasam/Pulusu/kuzhambu/pulusu

Recipe Cuisine: Andhra 

Main ingredients : Bitter gourd

Author : Aruna SarasChandra

Ingredients

Bitter gourd - 2 (medium size)

Onions - 2

Tomatoes -1 (large)

buttermilk - 3 cups 

curry leaves - 1 sprig

coriander leaves - 3 tsp(finely chopped)

dry coconut powder/paste - 1/2 cup

tamarind - small lemon size

jaggery - 1 tsp

coriander powder - 1 tsp

cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

red chilli powder - 1 tsp(adjust)

turmeric powder - 1/4 + 1/4 tsp

fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

cumin seeds - 1tsp

garlic - 10 pods

Instructions

1) Take buttermilk in a wide bowl, to this add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder, pinch of salt and mix everything well.

2)Later lightly peel out bitter gourd skin, cut it into rounds. If you feel bitter gourd seeds hard remove it. Then soak bitter gourd pieces in above buttermilk mixture and leave it for 30 minutes.

3) Mean while we will start gravy preparation, grind dry coconut to fine powder and keep it aside. If you are using dry coconut powder skip this step. Soak tamarind in hot water and keep it aside.

4) Heat 3 tsp of oil in a wide pan to this add garlic pods and fry it on low flames. When it starts changing  color add fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. Fry till you get nice aroma.

5) Now add curry leaves, roughly chopped onions fry it on low flames till it changes color. Later add chopped tomatoes and mix it well, cook it for  5 minutes or till tomatoes becomes mushy by closing lid.

6) Meanwhile drain out buttermilk and squeeze buttermilk from bitter gourd. Add bitter gourd pieces in above onion tomatoes mixture and mix everything well. Cook this on low to medium flames till bitter gourd becomes smooth. 

7) Now add tamarind juice in above mixture and mix everything well.

8) Now add jaggery powder and mix everything well. Jaggery cut off  bitterness so d't forgot to add jaggery. 

9) Now add dry coconut powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and mix everything well.

10) Adjust water according to your consistency and mix well. Finally add finely chopped coriander leaves and cook it on low flames till gravy becomes thick.

That's it our kakarakaya pulusu/ Bitter gourd gravy is ready to serve. Serve it with hot steamed rice, dollop of ghee and papads. 

Tips

** Soaking bitter gourd in butter milk will cut off its bitterness.

** If you want you can deep fry or shallow fry bitter gourd pieces.

** Adjust gravy thickness according to your wish. 

** You can add dry coconut powder or dry coconut paste.

** Jaggery cut off bitterness and gives good taste, so d't skip adding it. 

** Do not use bitter gourd seeds, if they are hard.

Hope you liked this kakarakaya pulusu recipe, do check out other bitter gourd and related recipes from our blog & youtube  channel by just clicking links below pics..

                         kakarakaya podi / bitter gourd podi

                               
                                       stuffed bitter gourd

                sanna kakarakaya fry / tiny bitter gourd fry 

                            Hyderabadi kadhu ka dalcha(youtube link)

                                                            Lemon Rasam(youtube link)

                                                pudina charu / mint rasam

usirikaya charu/ Amla Rasam

Udupi saaru / udupi style rasam

lemon rasam

  Miriyala Charu / pepper rasam

                        Drumstick Rasam

                                

Sundakkai Vatha Kuzhambu || Usthikaya pulusu

                       
                             Mamidikaya pappu

Menthi akku pappu  

Hope you like this aromatic, healthy and tasty kakarakaya pulusu / bitter gourd gravy.  Give it a try and drop your comments in inbox.

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Thanks for visiting my blog,

ArunaSaraschandra :)