A delicious way to prepare Bitter Gourd. Kerala-style ‘Thoran’ adds coconut to this simple, slow-cooked stir fry, with the addition of a special ingredient that just elevates the flavour.
Bitter Gourd Thoran
® This is a RAS signature Recipe©
♦Prep time:5min ♦Cook time:20min ♦Yield:4-5Servings.
A detailed introduction and related links are available on the
Recipe Intro ↓ : Check it out or scroll down for the Recipe and Video⇓.
EAT AND TELL!!! Let us know if you tried – Bitter Gourd Thoran
| ♦Mail me your pics and testimonials 🙂 – recipesaresimple@gmail.com ♦If you make the dish and share it on your social media, please don‘t forget to tag me @recipesaresimple and hashtag it #recipesaresimple on any platform. ♥Please rate the recipe if you have tried it below ↓♦Quick Browse to see All Recipes by Category.♦World Cuisines to browse recipes by Country. ♥Thanks for visiting www.recipesaresimple.com |
Bitter Gourd Thoran
Description
Bitter gourd, or Pavakka, is one of the most polarizing vegetables in the Indian pantry. You either love its distinctive, powerful flavor, or you've spent your life trying to avoid it. But here's the secret: when cooked the right way, its legendary bitterness is completely transformed. This Bitter Gourd Thoran is a classic Kerala-style stir-fry, where the finely chopped gourd meets the sweet, calming aroma of fresh grated coconut, mellowing its harsh edge into a balanced, nutritious side dish. This isn't just good food—it's a delicious way to enjoy one of nature's healthiest vegetables.
Ingredients:
Instructions
-
Scrub and rinse the bitter gourds. Cut off the tips. Slice in half vertically.
-
Use a small spoon to scoop out the spongy midsection that contains the seeds. Discard.
-
Proceed to slice both halves into thin slices. Repeat with all gourds.
-
Add the bitter gourd to a heavy-based pot. Do not add any water.
-
Add the thin slices of green chilli, pieces of jaggery, and coconut.
-
Turn on the heat. Keep the pot on low-medium heat.
-
Add 1/2 tsp salt to start with, as well as 4 large spoons of Coconut oil. Also, add the turmeric powder. Start tossing everything together till well combined as it heats up.
-
For the first 5 minutes ( time it!), keep stirring continuously on a steady low heat. Add a little more oil if it seems too dry.
-
As you toss, also mash up the Jaggery pieces, so that they dissolve as everything gets cooked.
-
For the next 10 minutes (time it!), stir occasionally every 2 minutes or so, still on low heat. Taste and add up to 1/4 tsp more salt and 1 spoon more of coconut oil if needed. After this time, the coconut develops a sensational aroma from being slow-roasted, and the bitter gourd develops some golden brown specks.
-
After 10 minutes, add 1 sprig of fresh curry leaves and continue to stir continuously for the last 5 minutes. (20 minutes cooking in total).
-
Now the aroma of the fresh curry leaves complements the coconut roasted in coconut oil. The bitter gourd is cooked tender and mellowed in flavour.
-
The addition of the 'secret' Jaggery enhances the flavour and mellows the bitter sharpness. It's so delicious if prepared this way. Serve with Rice or Chapathi. Let me know if you try it!
Note
- Do not add water to speed up the process. Adding water makes the gourd release the bitter flavour and also dilutes the slow-roasted flavour. Stir constantly on low heat to get wonderful results.
- Key Ingredients for Bitter Gourd Thoran: Bitter gourd, Coconut, Jaggery, Green Chilli, Curry Leaves, Salt, Turmeric, and Coconut oil.
This is a very simple and tasty recipe. And so well explained. Thank you!
thank you, Judith. Happy you liked it!