Thursday, 16 August 2018

Watermelon lollies

Watermelon Lollies
Ice lolly are everyones favorite (specially children's). I usually make fruit juice  lollies and cubes to get relief from summer heat.  I still remember the childhood days, when we used to run out to get those colorful ice lollies from ice-cream vendor, coming to our door step every evening. Now I prefer making them from fresh juice of seasonal fruits.
These ice beauties are very cooling, healthy and very refreshing. 

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : nil
Freezing Time : 5-6 hrs.

Ingredients For MakingWatermelon lollies :
  • Watermelon : 22(3inches thick)
  • Black salt :1/2 Teaspoon
  • Blackpepper powder:1/4Teaspoon
  • Honey : 2 Teaspoon
Directions For Making Watermelon Lollies:
  • Scoop out red pulp from one watermelon slice and remove the seeds from it.
  • Scoop as much possible and discard all green peel.
  • Mix the red and white pulp and pulse it.
  • Squeeze as much juice as possible.
Freshly squeezed Watermelon juice 
  • Add:
    • Black salt
    • Black pepper powder
    • Honey
  • Mix nicely.
  • Pour this juice in mounds and freeze for 5 to 6 hrs.
  • Ice lollies will be nicely set and frozen by now.
Juice in moulds kept for freezing 
  • Remove the pulp from the second slice of watermelon, cut into cubes and remove as many seeds as possible. Freeze the watermelon cubes in a covered container. 
  • Freeze the cubes in a covered container 
  • Unmould the lollies and serve.
Watermelon Ice Lollies 
  • The juice can be frozen in ice tray.
Ice cubes of Watermelon juice 
  • Serve the cubes of watermelon juice with frozen cubes of watermelon pulp.
Watermelon juice cubes cubes served along with frozen watermelon cubes 
Enjoy healthy  yummy, cooling ice lollies with family and friends.

Tips :
  • White pulp of watermelon is rich source of minerals so it's use inhances the nutritive quality of lollies.
  • Shake the moulds once or twice during freezing  Lollies will come out better.
Suggested  Variations :
  • Honey can be replaced with sugar.
  • Two teaspoon of lemon juice can be added to watermelon juice to get sweet and sour taste in lollies. 

Sunday, 15 July 2018

Low Fat Panjeeri /पंजीरी (No added sugar)


Low Fat Panjeeri
We used to wait eagerly for the fasting and Puja to finish so that we could partake the yummiest Panjeeri my mother used to make on the day of Krishna Janam ashtami. Panjeeri is usually made in liquid/laddu (balls) or barfi form. Normally loads of ghee (Clarified butter) is used in all forms. This is a quintessential nutritional thing included in post-natal diet in most of the India.
I tried to make more healthier and nutritious version and made the powder form of Panjeeri. It does not have white sugar and very less ghee, Thus best for not only diet watchers but for diabetic people and people suffering from high cholesterol. This Panjeeri is full of energy, proteins, vitamins, essential oils, micro nutrients.
This Panjeeri is extremely good for the mother (post-natal) as it helps alleviate joints and back pain, increases lactation, has many remedial properties along with being very tasty.
This version of Panjeeri can not only be taken by ladies after delivery but by one and all replacing energy bar and drinks. Just take two spoons after meal instead of dessert. It is nutritious as well as satiates the sweet tooth.
I usually add Asteracanth Longifola/Starthom/ Talmakhana to add body to the Pangeeri. Again Talmakhana also has immense medicinal and nutritive value. 
Due to different weather, climatic conditionds and local produce few ingredients may differ from state to state but Nuts, Gond (Dragon Gum), Turmeric Sunth (Dry ginger powder) aare few common ingredients.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Making Time: 30 minutes (Roasting)
Grinding Time: 20 minutes
Servings: Makes approximately 2 kg

Nutrition value For 20 gm of Panjeeri Powder (Approximate values)
  • Energy: 69.50 Cal
  • Carbs: 15.00 gm
  • Fats: 5.695 gm (Mostly Polyunsaturated)
  • Cholesterol: 0
  • Proteins: 12.2gm
  • Sugar: 3.25 gm
  • Sodium: 0.135 mg
  • Potassium: 83.50 mg
  • Extremely rich in Rich in Iron, Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12,
  • Rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D
  • Rich in essential oils
Thus it can be evaluated that apart from having energy it also provides with much needed Micronutrients , Vitamins and is also good for digestion (Due to presence of Carom seeds). Turmeric, Ginger powder and Carom seeds also impart anti-bacterial properties.
Gond/Dragon Gum/Goats horn/Gum elect helps to regularize the blood flow after delivery and helps in back and body pain and aches. Strengthens the body on the whole.

Ingredients For Making Panjeeri:
  • 250 gm Almonds
  • 250 gm Cashew nuts
  • 250 gm Pistachio
  • 250 gm Walnuts
  • 150-200 gm Raisins (Kishmish)
  • 750 gm Dry Dates Powder/ Dry dates pitted (Chuhara/Khari/Kharik)
  • 200 gm Gond/ Tragacant Gum/ Cooking gum/ Dragon Gum
  • 100 gm Carom Seeds (Ajwain)
  • 50 gm Dry Ginger Powder (Sunth)
  • 50 gm Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
  • 3-4 Teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter) / Olive oil
Direction For Preparing Panjeeri Powder:
  • In a thick bottom wok roast Almonds, Cashew, Pistachio and walnuts separately.
  • While roasting, keep the heat in medium/low depending upon your stove heating. High heat will cause the nuts to get over cooked/ burn.
  • The nuts should be removed from hot wok immediately when the change color and nice roasting aroma stats coming. Since nuts are full of essential oil thus they tend to keep cooking while in the process of cooling also.
  • Once the nuts are roasted allow them to cool.
Roasted Nuts
  • While roasting walnuts special care should be taken as they turn bitter if overcooked. In a hot wok they will take 4-5 minutes only to get roasted.
Walnuts roasted
  • Keep stirring continuously while roasting to avoid some nuts to get burnt and some remaining unroasted.
  • After nuts roast ajwain with continuous stirring.
  • Pound the gum to small pieces and roast it in medium heat with continuous stirring. After two three minutes of roasting they will start swelling, popping and will change the color to white.
Dry Roasted Gum
  • Add 5-6 tea spoons of ghee and bring the heat to high, stir continuously. Further popping will occur. Bring the heat to medium again till all pieces have been cooked. It will take another 4-5 minutes maximum. Some small pieces may get charred, they can be discarded later. But all pieces should be cooked nicely.
Roasted Gum  Cooking with Ghee
Gum Cooked after adding Ghee
  • Switch off the heating and remove the popped up gum from wok and allow it to cool. Removed the pieces which have black due to charring. (They will be few but should be removed)
Cooked Gum after removing all blackend particles
  • In the same wok add 1 teaspoon ghee and roast Turmeric and Dry Ginger powder separately. Remove the roasted ginger powder and turmeric from wok and let it cool.
Turmeric and Dry Ginger Powder roasted on low heat
  • Again in the same wok roast dry dated powder in manageable portions for 3-4 minutes on low flame(Just to remove if any moisture).
  • On low flame dry roast Raisins for 2-3 minutes.
Roasted rasins
  • If you are takingDry  Date pieces then roast them, cool them and then grind to make nearly fine powder. Do not sieve because the slightly coarse pieces will add texture to the powder.
  • Grind all roasted nuts together to fine powder.
  • Grind ajwain to fine powder. if required sieve and grind the coarser particles again to get fine powder.
  • Now grind the cooked gum. After pulsing the gum for a minute or so add little dry dates powder, then pulse again to get fine powder. The dates powder is added to absorb the ghee and facilitate the grinding.
  • Take 4-5 Tablespoon of dry dates powder and add the roasted raisins to it. Pulse so that the raisins become small pieces. The raisins are not to be pulsed much else the whole mixture will become gooey.
  • In a big shallow plate/container place:
    • Nuts powder
    • Dates powder
    • Ajwain powder
    • Raisin ground coarsely
    • Gum powder
    • Dry Ginger and Turmeric powder
  • Mix with your fingers or using a ladle till all ingredients are mixed nicely to give a homogenous mixture.
Low Fat Panjeeri
  • The sweetness will be imparted by Dry Dates powder, so sugar/jaggery is not to be added.
  • Store it in an airtight container.
  • This mixture lasts for more than six months in fridge and more than three months 0utside fridge, provided it does not finish before that time.
How To Take It and Who Can Take It:
  • Post-natal it should be taken 3-4 days after delivery; 2 teaspoons with cup of milk (Do not mix it in milk. Eat it and drink milk) twice a day, preferably before breakfast and before going to bed.
  • Apart from this it can be taken by anyone after meal instead of regular desserts.
  • Anyone suffering from anemia or weakness, this powder is very helpful.
  • Apart from being nutritious it helps the feeding mother to overcome flatulence, reduces the body pain, lactation increases and the milk is healthier for the baby.
  • Even though Panjeeri does not have anything causing adverse reaction yet one should be careful if allergic to any ingredient mentioned above in the article.
Tips:
  • Remember that nuts and seeds have essential oils thus they keep on cooking while kept for cooling thus remove them from heat when the color starts changing and the aroma of roasted nuts/seeds starts coming. Care should be taken that over roasting does not happen. Else the taste will be spoilt beyond redemption.
  • All burnt particle of gum should be removed before grinding.
  • Turmeric should be roasted on low heat.
Suggested Variations:
  • Grated coconut can be added to the mixture after roasting and grinding.
  • Melted hot ghee can be added to the mixture of all powders and small size balls can be made out of it. But this will turn rancid in a month in hot weather, and if stored in fridge the ball before eating should be heated to room temperature. Beware it will increase the fat content of Panjeeri.
  • If making balls/laddu some of the roasted nuts can be cut to fine pieces and then added to the Panjeeri.
  • To bring the cost down some of the Dates powder can be replaced by sugar/jaggery, but this will bring down the nutritional value and add pure calories to Panjeeri. Sugar powder will change the physical state of Panjeeri but jaggery may make it a little gooey.
  • If you want to add more body to the Panjeeri then roast 100 gm of Tal makhana (Astaracanth Longifola/Starthom), grind to fine powder and add to the rest of the powders before mixing. 
  • For slight sharp taste the amount of Dry Ginger powder can be increased to 100 gm and Ajwain (carom seeds) to 150 gm.  

Thursday, 17 May 2018

Sol-kadi/सोल-कड़ी [Coconut-Kokum(Garcinia Indica) Summer drink]


Sol-Kadi Coconut-Kokum summer drimk)
Kokum is used to impart sour taste to food in western and southern states of India. Dry mango powder is used not very often. Main reason of kokum being used primarily is because it is local fruit of these states. Kokum apart from being sour in taste is rich in nutrients, is great antioxidant and has a cooling effect. This cooling prowess makes it very useful in preparing the sour and sweet drink, which is very useful during intense heat of summers. Apart from the above said use, Kokum and coconut pair up very well and an amazing cooling drink is made by the combination of the two. This drink is called Sol-Kadi. Indeed it does justification to it’s name, it’s taste and cooling effect satiates not only the taste buds, stomach but Soul also.
Some people do not have much fancy for coconut they may disagree with me. But I am a great fan of freshly squeezed coconut milk thus a big fan of Sol-Kadi.
I had Sol-Kadi first in 2009 in Kerela. Since then I always wanted to make it. In restaurant we usually get slightly watered down version, (for obvious reasons). I like slightly thicker. Also I change the original recipe according to my own taste. Hope it is well received.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 minutes
Servings: 1 lt. (Approximately)

Nutritional Values of 1 lt. Sol- Kadi (Approximate Values)
Calories: 350
Fat: 36.0 gm
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: .2gm
Potassium: 3.9gm
Carbs: 0
Sugar: 4.0-5.0gm
Protein: 3.0gm
Micro nutrients Iron, Selenium, Magnesium, Phosphorous
Vitamins: C, B­1, B5, B6, E
Lactose free
Kokum is an antioxidant and thus has many health benefits.

Ingredients for Making Sol-Kadi:
  • 1 Coconut
  • 750 ml. Water (For taking out milk and diluting the sol-Kadi)
  • 150 ml. Kokum concentrate (Unsweetened)
Kokum Concentrate
  • 1-2 Whole Red dry Chili
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard seeds
  • 2 Sprigs Curry Leafs
  • 1/2 Inch cinnamon
  • 2-3 Sprigs Fresh Coriander leafs
  • 1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
  • 1 -2 Teaspoon Sugar
Directions To Make Solo-Kadi:
  • Remove the Kernel (Meat) from Coconut.
  • Either grate the kernel or cut it to small pieces. (I cut them up. Find it easier than grating).
  • Grind the coconut kernel with 50 water, add 50 ml water and grind till it turns to paste. If more water is required to be added, add water in small portions as and when required.
  • Take out the paste of coconut in a fine cloth or sieve and squeeze as much milk as possible. (I used sieve and press the paste with fingers). This is called first milk of coconut and is thick.
  • Return the left over residue to grinder/mixer and add 100 ml water and grind again. When it turn to a homogenous mass (which will be paste like) squeeze it to take out thin second milk.
  • The rough fibrous mass will not have any milk left and can be discarded. If you feel the need the above process can be repeated third time to ensure all milk has been squeezed out of coconut kernel.
  • Mix all of the coconut milk and give a stir.
Coconut Milk
  • Add 100 ml. of Kokum concentrate and stir. Taste it and if you want it a little more sour like I do then add another 100 ml. in two batches tasting in between.
  • Take the mixture of coconut milk and Kokum concentrate in a thick bottom pan. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes with continuous stirring. Do not boil it.
Coconut milk and Kokum concentrate after cooking 
  • The moment foam to start appearing, switch off the heat and keep stirring for 2-3 minutes more.
  • Add 200 ml. cold water in two batches, all the while stirring continuously.
  • Add sugar and Cumin powder, stir till it dissolves.  
  • Taste it and then salt according to taste. Stir to dissolve.
  • Heat oil in a skillet and add
    • Mustard seeds
    • Cinnamon stick
    • Curry leafs
    • Red chili
  • Let the seeds splutter. Do not let the chili become black.
  • Pour the tempering on to the above prepared coconut Kokum mixture. Cover and keep in fridge to chill. (Though the container is on stove the kadi is not heated . It was kept to gain height for picture.)
Sol-Kadi After Tempering
  • Serve chilled Sol-Kadi after garnishing it with Fresh coriander leafs.
Sol Kadi

  • This drink can be had like any other cooling summer drink or it can be had with food like Chas.
Sol-Kadi Coconut-Kokum summer drimk)
Tips:
  •  Since Kokum concentrate has salt in it so salt should be added only after adding the kokum concentrate. I learnt it hard ways.
  • Heating is done to warm up enough to remove raw taste from coconut, so make sure the mixture is not cooked too long. Also continuous stirring is very important, else the milk may split.
  • Salt should be added after cooking is done to avoid splitiing and over salting.
  • Thick bottom container is must for cooking else quick heating will take place and may result in splitting.
Suggested Variations:
  • I like slight sweet note in Sol-Kadi so I add sugar. Sugar can be replaced with jaggery. If you do not sweet taste you can avoid adding it.
  • As I told earlier I like slightly thicker so water amount is accordingly. It can be increased oe decreased according to liking.
  • Kokum concentrate amount can be changed according to taste.

Friday, 9 February 2018

Red-Spicy-Coconut Chutney

Red Spicy Coconut Chutney
Chutney is integral part to Indian food. Depending upon the local produce it is made from different ingredients like tamarind, green mango/dried mango/mango powder/ Lemon to name few. In coastal part coconut grow plentiful so coconut is the main ingredient along with tamarind which gives the tangy taste where as in other areas coriander/ mint is used along with any of the above said sour ingredients.
When I went to my daughter’s house, her helper made this awesome chutney to be had with dosa. Since then I have become big fan of this tangy-spicy red chutney.
Preparation Time: 10 – 15 minutes
Making Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 10 medium servings
Ingredients Required For Making Chutney:
Ingredients for Chutney
  • 1/2 Fresh Coconut
  • 4-5 Garlic pods (Medium sized)
  • 4-5 Red dry Kashmiri Chilies
  • 3-4 Red dry chilies or to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 Teaspoon tamarind pulp
For tempering:
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
  • 2 Teaspoon Urd Dal
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard seeds (Rai)
  • 1/4teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
  • 2-3 Dry Red Chilies
  • 8-10 Curry leafs
Ingredients for Tempering
  • 1 Teaspoon cooking oil (except mustard oil any cooking oil of your choice)
Direction For making Red Coconut Chutney:
  • Soak both Kashmiri chilies and regular red chilies in half cup of water for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the outer brown color hard peel of coconut and discard the peels.
  • Cut the peeled white coconut to small pieces.
  • In a mixer-blender take
    • Coconut pieces
    • Garlic
    • Soaked chilies along with water
    • Tamarind pulp
    • Salt
  • Grind them to fine paste. Keep adding water in small amounts while grinding. The consistency of paste should be like cake batter.
  • Heat oil in a thick bottom pan. When the oil becomes hot, reduce the heat to low and Urd dal and cook till it just starts changing the color.
Urd dal first in oil
  • Add mustard seeds and increase the heat to medium. Mustard seeds will start spluttering.
  • Add Curry leafs and Red chilies, in 30 sec or so the chilies will turn darker in color. Immediately add the coconut paste and lower the heat.
Spices cooking in Oil
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes with constant stirring , this will allow the flavor of spices to mix with chutney and give it that special flavor. Add sugar and stir. Remove from heat and cover the pan.
Red-spicy-Coconut Chutney

Red Spicy Coconut Chutney
  • Allow it to cool before serving.
  • This chutney can be stored in fridge for 5-6 day.
Tips:
  • Check the hotness of chilies before using. Sometimes they are too hot some times less. So adjust the amount accordingly.
  • Soaking red chilies and then grinding enhances the red color.
  • Tamarind paste can be made by soaking tamarind in water for few minutes, then mashing it up.
  • Removing the brown peel from coconut is must to get proper texture and color.
  • Make sure Urd dal in tempering does not turn black, it should be of brown color in final stage so care has to be taken while preparing tempering. If any of the ingredients get over cooked then the taste and flavor of chutney gets spoiled.
  • Water should be added while grinding in small amounts for the ease of grinding as well as maintain the required consistency.
  • Continuos stirring is must once coconut paste is added to tempering.
Suggested Variations:
  • Sugar can be replaced by jaggery.

Tuesday, 9 January 2018

Bhara Karela/भरा करेला (Stuffed Bittergourd)


Bhara Karela (Stuffed Bittergourd)
Bitter gourd (Karela) belongs to the family of squash, cucumber melon. While rest are loved Bitter gourd is not well received by many, but Bitter gourd is a rich source of nutrients and minerals, while being very low on calories. It can be introduced in diet by making savories.
Bitter gourd comes in many varieties, ranging from dark green-light green-white, and from small variety 3-5 inches -long variety which can measure up to 10-12 inches also.
Stuffed bitter gourd can is made in variety of ways in India. In Kumaon it is primarily stuffed with potatoes, northern, and central India mostly fennel seed and onion are the main ingredients of stuffing, where as in Western part mostly coconut, onion and garlic are the main ingredients. I picked up all these flavors and made the best combination to make succulent and yummy stuffed bitter gourd. Bitter gourd stuffed san potato can last for weeks together in fridge and even if not stored in fridge it lasts for a week minimum. The best choice for stuffed bitter gourd is to get small sized, dark green bitter gourd. It should be soft from inside (Without hard, ripe seeds). If small variety of bitter gourd is not available then one can make it with long variety of bitter gourd as shown in the blog. (I could not lay my hand on small variety so used the soft but longer ones). The taste remains almost the same but the visual treat and ease of making is in small variety.

Preparation Time: 30 min
Cooking Time: 10-15 min. for stuffing and 30 min. for cooking after stuffing
Nutritional value: (Approx.)
Calories: 45 Kcal
Carb: 340g
Proteins: 5g
Cholesterol: 0g
Fibers: 15 g
Sodium: 10mg
Potassium: 3000mg
Calcium: 45mg
Iron: 50mg,
Rich in micro nutrients: copper, magnesium, manganese.
Rich in Vitamin A, B2-B12, C,
The above values are approximate values for the stuffed bitter gourd prepared from 250 gm of raw bitter gourd.

Ingredients Required For Making Stuffed Bitter Gourd (Bhara Karela):
  • 250 gm. Bitter gourd
  • 100-150 gm Potatoes
  • 250-300 gm. Onion
  • 10-12 Cloves of Garlic
  • 4-5 cm. Ginger piece
  • 2-3 Green chilies
  • ½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
  • 5-6 Sprigs of fresh Green Coriander
  • 2 Teaspoons Dry mango powder (Amchur)
  • 2 Teaspoons Coriander seed powder (Dhaniya powder)
  • 1 Teaspoon Fennel powder (saunf powder)
  • 1/2 Teaspoon roasted Cumin seed powder (Jeera powder)
  • Salt to taste
  • Red chili powder to taste
  • 50 gm. Ground nuts (Moongfali)
  • 1 Teaspoon sugar
  • 10-15 ml. Cooking oil of your choice (I use mustard oil)

Direction For Making Stuffed Bitter Gourd:
  • Roast Groundnuts, remove the peels and grind them coarsely. Keep aside for later use.
  • Boil potatoes and mash them to small pieces after peeling them. Keep away for later use.
Boiled and Peeled Potatoes
  • Scrape the outer rough surface of bitter gourd and slit them lengthwise on one side only.
  • Pry the slit gourds carefully and remove the inner core leaving the empty shell of gourd.
  • If the gourds are of long variety as shown in this article then cut them to 3-4 inches pieces before slitting them.
Prepped Bitter Gourd
  • In a container take 1lt. water, add 2 teaspoon salt and boil it. Once the water comes to boil put cleaned bitter gourd in boiling water cover the container and let it simmer for 1-2 min. Remove the container from heat and let the contents cool. Do not boil too much else the gourds will become very soft mushy. They should be firm yet on softer side.
Cleaned Bitter Gourd in Boiled water
Blanched Bittergourd
  • Drain water from gourds using sieve. Let all water drip form them by allowing them to rest on sieve.
  • Chop onions, garlic, ginger, green chilies, Coriander sprigs finely. Garkic and ginger can be grated.
Chopped Ingredients For Stuffing
  • In a wok take 2 ml. cooking oil and heat it. When the oil is hot enough add chopped 
    • Garlic
    • Ginger 
    • Green chilies and cook on low flame for a minutes or so. 
Green Chillies, Ginger, Garlic cooking in oil
  • Add chopped onions and cook on low heat till they  become transparent. (Before taking golden brown color they will become transparent).
Onion cooked to trasparent state

  • Add
    • Salt
    • Turmeric powder
    • Cumin seed powder
    • Coriander seed powder (Dhaniya powder)
    • Fennel seed powder (saunf powder)
    • Chili Powder
    • Dry Mango powder (Amchur)
  • Stir to mix nicely and cook on low flame for 1-2 minutes with constant stiring. 
Salt and other spices added
  • Add coarsely ground Groundnut and coarsely mashed boiles potatoes. Mix well. Cook for a minute with constant stiring.
  • Add sugar, give a nice stir, switch off the heat and cover the wok. Let the sutffing mixture cool.
Mashed Potatoes and Peanut Powder Added
Stuffing For Bittergourd
  • When the cooked mixture is cooled add chopped coriander. Mix nicely for even distribution of chopped coriander.

Seasoned with Coriander leafs
  • Fill the stuffing in the gourds. Press the stuffing in gourds till no more can be filled.
  • Wrap them by thread so that the stuffing does not come out during cooking. Coat them with little oil using fingers or brush.
Stuffed and wrapped Bittergourd
  • These stuffed gourds can be made in minimum oil using non-stick pan (as it is shown in this article) or if minimum oil using non-stick pan (as it is shown in this article).
  • Take 2ml. cooking oil a non-stick pan and heat. When the oil is hot enough place the stuffed gourds in it and lower the heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes without disturbing.
Bittergourd cooking in less oil
  • The color of gourds will have changed by now. Turn them over, sprinkle few drops of oil and cook till the color on the side it is cooking becomes golden brown or little darker.
After 5 min
  • Keep turning the gourds till from most sides it is cooked (The gourd will become thinner and darker).
Cooked Stuffed Bittergourd 
  • Remove the cooked stuffed gourds from pan, let them cool. Remove the thread. Some of the filling attached to thread will be on charred side, remove that along with the thread. Serve hot with roti/parantha. Absolute yum.
Stuffed Bittergourd (Bhara Karela)
Tips:
  • Bitter gourd is blanched not cooked in boiling water. Blanching will remove some bitterness along with making it softer.
  • Wrapping preferably should be done by thicker thread so that removing it after cooking becomes easier.
  • If bitter gourd is not being cooked in non-stick pan then requirement of oil will become more.

Suggested Variations:
  • If the gourds are very soft from inside then:
  • Potatoes can be replaced by extra fennel seed powder, coriander powder.
  • Fresh grated coconut can be addedinstead of potato and ground nut ppowder.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...