Yesterday, we at home had a sudden urge to have some typical Bengali Daal with rice and a side dish along with Paapad . A debate ensued regarding what the side dish should be . We were fed up of potatoes. The two other items in the fridge were ladies finger and bitter gourd.
We finally zeroed in on the bitter gourd. I am an ardent fan of these quiet unassuming veggies which have been castigated for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, this poor veggie is rich in nutrients and when you develop a taste for it, you might just fall in love with it.
Yesterday, I tried out something different with the bitter gourds. It turned out just fine and the bitterness was barely discernible. Here’s what I did.
Ingredients:
3 medium sized bitter gourds,finely chopped.
2 potatoes – shredded.
1 onion – finely chopped.
1 tomato, chopped.
Half a teaspoon each of Cumin powder and Coriander powder, along with a quarter teaspoon of chilli powder.
2 teaspoons of sugar
Salt to taste.
1 teaspoon of ghee or oil.
Method
Heat the oil or ghee in a pan.
Toss in the onions and fry till light brown.
Add the chopped bitter gourds.
Keep sauteing it till it turns brown .
Add the sugar and salt and continue to saute it till is almost cooked. This helps to camouflage the bitterness.
Now add in the shredded potatoes and the spices along with the tomato and continue to saute for another five minutes till it is cooked.
Voila – your bitter sweet dish is ready. Rustle up some rice and daal or chapattis and tuck into a simple, heartwarming meal.
