BITTERGOURD RICE, KARELA BHATH

Most of the people does not like bitter gourd because of the bitter taste.  But when you consider the health benefits of this vegetable, you will definitely include the same atleast once in a week in your diet.  It is very good for the people who are suffering from diabetes.

I have made few varieties of dishes with bitter gourd.  pavakka curry,  bitter gourd sweet pachadi ,   bitter gourd pickle,   bitter gourd fry, Today when I was making stuffed karela for my husband, his favourtie dish, I thought of making the rice with it and it was a hit among my office colleagues.  They did not feel that they are eating karela bhath, instead one said it is bisibela bhath.

Whatever form you consume this vegetable, it is quite healthy and I am sure, you will definitely try this.

Let us look at the recipe now:



Ingredients:

1/2 cup surti kolam rice
1 bitter gourd
1 tomato finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp dry mango powder or 1 tbsp thick tamarind pulp
a pinch of turmeric powder
1/4 tsp sugar or 1/2 tsp grated jaggery
3 tbsp masoor dal
salt as per taste
3 tsp ghee


For the masala

2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp urid dal
1/2 tsp black pepper
less than 1/4 tsp fenugreek  seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 red chillies or 1 tsp red chilli powder (according to your spice requirement increase/decrease)
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp garam masala
2-3 garlic cloves
few curry leaves


Tempering:

1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
few curry leaves
2-3 broken red chilli pieces

Garnishing:

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp greens of spring onion

Method:

1.  Wash and soak the rice and masoor dal for half an hour.
2.  wash the bitter gourd, finely chop them after removing the seeds.  add little salt to it, mix well and keep aside.
3.  heat oil in kadai, roast the chana dal remove from heat, keep aside.  Now add the coriander seeds, methi seeds, red chilli, urid dal, fry them, add cumin seeds, black pepper,  saute for a minute and remove.  If you are using chilli powder, skip the red chilli.
4.  in the same kadai, heat the ghee, add the onion and saute for two minutes, now add the bitter gourd pieces after squeezing out the water, if any in it, add the garlic and  cook the same till it becomes tender.
5.  add the tomatoes, dry mango powder and saute till it becomes soft and mushy.
6.  Grind the fried masala with curry leaves and  little water.
7.  Now add the ground masala in the vegetable, garam masala, turmeric powder, salt, sugar or jaggery and saute for few minutes.
8.  Pressure cook the rice and dal for one whistle with little salt when the pressure comes down, add the rice to the prepared bitter gourd masala, mix well, check salt.
9.  Heat oil in kadai, add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, when it splutters add the red broken chilly, when it is done, add the onion and saute till half done.
10. Pour this in the rice, mix well
11. garnish with chopped coriander leaves, spring onion leaves.
12. serve hot with  a blob of butter, papad, kurdai, onion raita or any raita of your choice.