Cook's Hideout: Kakarakaya Pachadi (Bittergourd Chutney)

May 22, 2015

Kakarakaya Pachadi (Bittergourd Chutney)

I am not a big fan of spicy Indian style pickles. My mom makes sure she keeps me stocked with fresh pickles every year, but I rarely eat them. In my house, my husband is the major consumer of these spicy pickles. He also likes the simple chutneys made with vegetables, so I make them occasionally. They keep well in the fridge for 4~5 days.
Kakarakaya Pachadi
I saw this pachadi/ chutney recipe made with bitter gourd/ kakarakaya on a cooking show. Recipe is very simple to make and the method of making is quite interesting. Bitter gourd is usually cooked with lot oil for a very long time to reduce the bitterness, but in this recipe it is ground into a coarse paste and then cooked in little bit of oil until it is cooked through.

I was initially skeptical on how the chutney was going to turn out, but it tasted great. It was very mildly bitter and was super tasty. It is great to serve with steamed rice, roti or even dosa.
Kakarakaya Pachadi (Bittergourd Chutney)
Ingredients:
Kakarakaya (Bittergourd) - 1 cup chopped (about 2 medium or 4 small)
Onion - 1medium
Red Chili powder - 2tsp (adjust as per taste)
Tamarind paste - 1~2tbsp (adjust as per taste)
Kosher Salt - 2tsp (adjust as per taste)

For Tempering:
Chana dal - 2tsp
Urad dal - 2tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Asafoetida/ Hing - ¼tsp 
Dry Red Chilies - 2

Method:
  • Grind bittergourd, onions, tamarind paste, salt and red chili powder into a paste. If you like texture to your chutney, then coarsely grind it or make it into a smooth paste.
  • Heat 3tbsp oil, add the tempering ingredients and once the dals get golden and the seeds start to splutter, add the paste. Turn off the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes thickens and bittergourd is cooked through, about 12~15 minutes.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Kakarakaya Pachadi (Bittergourd Chutney)



Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook ChallengeMarch -- Week 4'.







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10 comments:

  1. Everyone but me loves spicy food here! Hubby and me are huge fans of bittergourd so am surely going to make this. Pics are so tempting Pavani...

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  2. Interesting recipe ! Bookmarking the recipe.

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  3. wow, bitter-gourd chutney, looks damn good pavani, i m sure going to try this!! :)

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  4. A very easy recipe for a chutney I Say... This must be a good way to include such vegiies in our diet

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  5. You got beautiful texture & color going on in your chutney. Mouthwatering, Pavani.

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  6. An interesting chutney with bittergourd.

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  7. Very very interesting chutney! I love bitter gourds.

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  8. Lovely colour Pavani, I have seen Athamma making different pachadis with this vegetable as well..must have tasted good..

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  9. Wonderful recipe.....I made it today and it came out really well...

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    Replies
    1. So glad to heat that you liked the recipe. This is one of my favorite recipe too. Thank you for letting me know :-)

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