BITTER GOURD CURRY (KAIPAKKA CURRY)

My local supermarket started a section of Indian veggies. I got nostalgic for a kaipakka curry that Umma used to make. Out came my spiral notebook, where old recipes were faithfully recorded. I was surprised to find the curry had a sprinkling of fenugreek powder! I made it once, then a second time and it was perfect – just like Umma used to make!

Then, kaipakkas  were all around me. Zeenath WhatsApped a picture of her kaipakka harvest. But she doesn't like the vegetable. On a Zoom call, Ismath said she has never cooked this before but wants to know how. It turns out Ismath has a bag of frozen kaipakkas, brought into their home by her husband. That made me smile. Ishrath did not say much, but her daughter in CT tells me that her Umma made this often. I know Ishrath enjoyed the sisterly kaipakka consultations.

This recipe is for my sisters. Enjoy!

Wikipedia - Bitter gourd

Ingredients

Thinly sliced bitter gourd - 1 cup

Brown sugar - 2 tbsp

Garlic cloves - 2

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Tamarind - 1/2 cup of tamarind paste extracted from tamarind pulp How to prepare tamarind paste. We call this puli vellam.

Salt - to taste

Fenugreek powder - 1/4 tsp

For garnishing

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 8

Oil - 1 tsp

Wash the kaipakkas, cut them down the centre, remove the seeds and pith (try to scrape out as much pith as you can but it's not a big deal if you leave some behind) and cut into small slices like in the picture above.

Coarsely crush the garlic. I use a mortar and pestle. A rolling pin or a knife handle will work too. Mix together the garlic, chili powder, turmeric and tamarind pulp and set aside. (You may mix the chopped kaipakkas and brown sugar to this solution and boil it all up. This is what I did the first time but I switched it up the second time and got a much better texture.)

Put the sliced kaipakkas in a cooking utensil and sprinkle with brown sugar. Turn the stove on to a slow heat and let the sugar melt into the kaipakka. (Jaggery is traditionally used to make this dish. Brown sugar worked well for me.) When the sugar is fully melted, give it a small stir, add the tamarind mix, salt to taste and bring it to the boil. Lower the heat to simmer and cook till kaipakkas are soft, and the curry  has reduced to a thick consistency. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with fenugreek powder.

Warm 1 tsp oil in a small pan and add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds. Cover the pan and let the mustard seeds splutter. Take off the stove, add chopped curry leaves and pour this garnish over the kaipakka curry.

We ate this in the Mavoor Road house, as a side dish with a lunch of rice and fish curry and if we were lucky, some fried fish too.