BITTERGOURD PORIYAL

As we ate lot of sweets during Deepavali, DH put a rule at home to include bittergourd daily at home for a week.   Usually, I make poricha kuzhambu with bitter gourd that includes frying urad dhal, asafoetida, coriander seeds and grind along with coconut as addition of coconut subtle the bitter taste but this time I tried poriyal adding onion and tomatoes.  I must say the mild tangy taste from tomatoes reduced the bitter taste and added a special flavor to the poriyal.

INGREDIENTS:

Bitter gourd - 250g

Onion - 2-3 (sliced thin)

Tomatoes - 2 (sliced thin)

Garlic flakes - few 

Salt - to taste

Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 3-4 tsp

To Temper:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2

PREPARATION:

1. Slice onions and tomatoes and cut the bittergourd in thin long 2" pieces.  Refer picture any doubts.

2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and throw in the tempering agents one by one. Put in onions and once the onions have browned well, add tomatoes and garlic flakes and little salt which is required only for onions and tomatoes.

3. Once the tomatoes have turned mushy , add the bitter gourd, turmeric powder, and salt required for bittergourd.  Mix well and cook it closing the pan with a lid.  Once the bittergourd had cooked well, add red chilly powder, keep in flame for few minutes and transfer to vessel.

4.  Serve as side dish for sambar/kara kuzhambu.  

We had as a side dish for drumstick-black channa puli kuzhambu with additional side dish of baby potato-cauliflower fry.