15 November, 2018

HAGALAKAYI/KARELA/BITTER GOURD PULAO/ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ ಪುಲಾವ್ & ಸೌತೆಕಾಯಿ ದಾಳಿಂಬೆ ರಾಯಿತ

Today I’m here to share one of the rarest dish made using one of the least liked vegetable ie… bitter gourd yet a very healthy preparation. I’m sure not many people like this vegetable, but we (I, Suresh & my in-law’s) are the exception. We like to have it in any form.

There are so many recipes in my noted/written recipe book, of course which has got more healthy recipes comparatively, of which till now some I have made many a times and some are yet to be tried. So now a days I’m choosing a recipe or two from that book every week and posting them here

And today’s is one such recipe which I wanted to try out since long time – a yummy, tasty Pulao using Hagalakayi (as called in Kannada) or Karela (as called in Hindi) or bitter gourd. Trust me it tasted so yum. This Pulao has got all the tastes ie… it is spicy, salty, sour, sweet and bitter (a little).

Overall it is a wonderful recipe, which we enjoyed relishing thoroughly. However I made grated cucumber (I did not peel the skin) & pomegranate raita to go with this Pulao, but you can choose to make any kind of raita which you feel suitable to pair with this pulao.

So overall this is a Pulao with high amount of fiber and of course with all the other nutrients we can get from overall ingredients I have put in this dish. The quantity of the ingredients used is enough to serve 3 people.

Ingredients : measuring cup used is of 250 ml

Rice – 1/2 cup
Water – 1 cup
Bitter gourd (chopped into very thin, small slices) – 1/3 cup
Onion – 1/3 cup
Tomato – 1/3 cup
Lemon juice – 1/2 tbsp
Jaggery/sugar – 1 tsp (I have put jaggery)
Salt to taste

Others :

Oil – 1 tbsp (I have put cold pressed coconut oil)
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp or grated fresh turmeric – 1 tbsp

To grind together :

Grated fresh coconut – 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves – 1 fist full
Green chilli – 4 to 5
Ginger – an inch piece
Onion – 1/4 cup
Cinnamon stick – an inch piece
Cloves – 4
Nutmeg – a small piece/ I have put grated 1/2 tsp

PROCEDURE :

Chop/slice all the vegetables and keep them ready

Grind together all the ingredients listed below the heading ‘to grind together’ without adding water into a coarse paste

Heat oil in a cooker, add in cumin seeds, saute for a while and add in turmeric powder, chopped/thinly sliced bitter gourd and saute for 2 minutes

Now add in onion and tomato, roast everything well for a while, also add in ground paste, rinsed rice, salt, jaggery, lemon juice and 1 cup of hot water, combine everything well