Bittergourd Masala / Bittergourd Gojju
- 250 grams Bittergourd
- 3/4 teaspoons Salt
- 3/4 teaspoons Red chilli powder
- 3/4 teaspoons Turmeric powder
- 4 tablespoons Coconut oil
- 2 Onions (Medium, thinly sliced)
- 3/4 cups Tomato puree (from blanched tomatoes)
- 10 cloves Garlic (Crushed)
- 1/2 Tamarind (lemon sized ball)
- 1 cup Hot water (To soak the tamarind)
- 2-3 tablespoons Coconut oil
- 1.5 tablespoons Raw peanuts (with or without skin)
- 1.5 teaspoons White sesame seeds
- 1.5 teaspoons Split black gram (urad dal)
- 1.5 teaspoons Split bengal gram (chana dal)
- 1.5 teaspoons Coriander seeds
- 3 Red dried chillies
- 1/2 teaspoons Whole black pepper
Prepare the bittergourd- Wash it thoroughly and slice into thin rounds. Add salt, turmeric, and chilli powder. Rub well and let it marinate for 20 minutes.
Prepare the spice powder - Meanwhile, dry roast peanuts. Once peanuts are almost roasted, add the rest of the ingredients except red chillies and roast until aromatic. Switch off the flame and add dried red chillies. Fry for 1 to 2 min. Transfer to the jar of the mixer. Cool for few minutes and grind to a fine powder.
After resting, squeeze out excess water. In a skillet, add oil and shallow fry until browned and crisp. Remove and keep aside.
Make the curry base - To the same pan and skillet, add oil if needed. Add sliced onions until light brown, add crushed garlic and prepared spice powder. Saute for 2 minutes, then add tomato puree. Cook until oil begins to leave the sides of the pan.
Add fried bitter gourd and tamarind water. Simmer for 6 to 8 min until bittergourd absorbs all the flames. Adjust The curry will be thick, rich, nutty, spicy and slightly tangy.
Blanching tomatoes - Wash the tomatoes and mark an 'X' on the bottom of the tomatoes with a sharp knife. Place tomatoes in a saucepan. Add enough water to cover the tomatoes. Boil until the skin of the tomatoes start to peel. Take out the tomatoes and plunge in ice water. Drain, peel the skin and roughly chop. Grind the chopped tomatoes into a fine puree. (I often skip plunging the tomatoes in iced water, I drained the boiled tomatoes and peel the skin once it cools down.)