Pavakkai Podi / Spiced bitter gourd powder

Name: Pavakkai podi / Spiced bitter gourd powder
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Black gram dal; 2 tbsp Bengal gram dal; 6 Red Chillies; 1/2 tsp Asafoetida; 1 tbsp Coriander seeds; 1 Marble sized Tamarind; 2 Small Bitter gourd; 1 tsp Oil

Posted on Aug 26th, 2020

by Veena

Categories:

Spice powders

Bittergourd when used in our cooking gives us numerous health benefits. However, this is the vegetable least preferred by many. That is because of the bitter taste. It does not give a good feel for the taste buds. Hence many people avoid using this vegetable. The taste of the bitter gourd can be tweaked using a few tricks. These tips help to reduce bitterness. One such recipe where you do not feel the bitterness when consumed is this pavakkai podi. Pavakkai podi is a spiced bitter gourd powder.

How to reduce the bitterness of bitter gourd while cooking?

There are few tips which my mother always follows while cooking bitter gourd or pavakkai.

Slice the bitter gourd into thin slices. Mix in the salt and leave for a while. When we do this, water from the vegetable oozes out and reduces the bitterness. Squeeze it out and use it for cooking.
Add tamarind while cooking pavakkai. This further reduces the bitterness.
Finally, if the bitter gourd is fried to crispiness like in Pavakkai chips, there will be very less bitterness which is negligible. Instead of deep-frying, we can always air fry the bitter gourd

What is pavakkai podi?

Pavakkai podi is a spiced bitter gourd powder. This is a lentil-based powder like the Thenga podi , Pudina podi, Karuveppalai podi and paruppu podi. The addition of the lentils and the tamarind makes this powder tangy and tasty. This powder is served with hot rice and a little ghee to make a perfect meal in south Indian cuisine.

How is the bitter gourd cooked for this powder?

We can cook the bitter gourd in 2 ways. One on the stovetop by grating it and cooking till it becomes crisp and the other in the air fryer. The air frying cooking consumes less time. However, I have shown here both the ways of cooking the bitter gourd to prepare this powder.

Preparation:

INGREDIENTS

Black gram dal	2 tbsp
Bengal gram dal	2 tbsp
Red chillies	6
Asafoetida	1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds	1 tbsp
Tamarind	A small marble-sized
Bitter gourd	2 small
Oil	1 tbsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tsp
Salt	To Taste

PREPARATION

Dry roast the black gram dal, Bengal gram dal, coriander seeds in a pan till the dal starts to brown. Transfer it to a plate.
Dry roast the tamarind till it becomes crispy.
Add 1 tsp oil to the pan and fry the chillies till it becomes crispy.
Switch off the fire. Let it cool completely
Now add salt and asafoetida to this and grind it a coarse powder.
Cut the bitter gourd and remove the seeds and pit.

FOR MAKING THE POWDER ON STOVE TOP:

Now grate it and squeeze out the liquid.
Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it begins to crackle add turmeric powder and then add the bitter gourd and cook it in very low flame, stirring regularly till it starts to become brownish
Now add the necessary salt and saute for a few minutes and then add the ground spice powder. Mix well and cook for a minute more

FOR MAKING THE POWDER USING AIR FRYER

Cut the bitter gourd into thin discs. Remove the seeds and pith
Mix turmeric powder and salt.
Preheat the air fryer at 200C
Squeeze out the water from the bitter gourd
Transfer the vegetable slices to the basket of the air fryer
Air fry it for 8 minutes. Let it cool.
Now add this to the coarsely ground spiced powder and powder it finely
Serve with hot rice and a dollop of ghee.