కాకర కాయ వేపుడు: Kakara kaaya vepudu: Bitter Gourd Fry

Serves for 3

INGREDIENTS

Bitter Guard............5 big size
Onion.......................1 big size
Oil to fry..................2 tbl sp.
salt for taste
Red chilly powder.......2 tsp.

Method..

1. Cut the bitter guard in to small pieces.
2. Apply 2 tbs. to the cut pieces. keep them aside for 1/2 hr.
3. Now squeeze out the bitter water from the veg. now it is ready to be fried.
4. Cut onions also in to small pieces.
5. Take oil in a pan, when it is hot put the cut bitter guard pieces. fry stirring them in between. add salt for taste.
6.Add cut onion to the bitter guard. fry again till is crisp.
7. Add chilly powder mix well and ready to eat.

This goes with rice.

కాకరకాయ పుల్ల బెల్లం: Kakarakaya pulla bellam- Bitter melon curry with tamarind & jaggery

INGREDIENTS:
6 medium kakarakayalu/Bitter gourd/melon
Big Marble sized tamarind/chinthapandu or puree (1 tbsp)
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric/pasupu
1tsp chilly powder/mirappodi
1tbsp bellam/jaggery/brown sugar

Thiragamatha/Thadka/seasoning
1tbsp oil
1/2tsp avaalu/Mustard seeds
1tbsp senagapappu/chana dal
1/2 tbsp minapappu/urad dall
6 curry leaves/karivepaku

Thayarucheyatam/Preparation
1. Wash and cut kakarakayalu into round pieces.
2. In a pan add tamarind juice,bitter melon pieces,turmeric and salt.
3. Cover and cook them until the bitter melon pieces are cooked well.
4. Don't smash them. Don't add too much water.
5. Heat oil in a pan add the seasonings, when it is all done add the boiled
bitter melon pieces and fry them for 5 min.
6. Add chilly powder, brown sugar according to your taste.
7. Serve hot with hot rice.

If you like it little sour then you can add 1tsp tamarind puree along with chilly powder and jaggery.

గుత్తి కాకరకాయ: Kurina kakarakaya- Stuffed bitter melon

People who hate bitter melon should try this receipe and am sure they will start loving it.

cooking time: 25 mins
serves: 3 persons

Ingredients:

10 Bitter melon/kakarakayalu
small lemon sized tamarind/chinthapandu(if you are using pulp take 11/2 tsp)
11/2 tbsp senagapindi/chana flour
1tsp red chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric/pasupu
2tbsp oil to fry
1/2tsp of Cumin/Jeera powder/jeelakarra podi.
salt to taste

Preparation/thayarucheyatam
1. Wash the bitter melon and slit them from one side along length wise as shown in picture.
2. Cook them in a pan adding one cup of tamarind water(squeeze from tamarind or if you are using pulp then add one cup water and pulp)
3. Add salt and turmeric powder.
4. cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Drain the excess water, and let it cool.
6. To prepare stuffing: add salt, chilly powder and jeera powder to chana flour.
7. Fill the bitter melon with stuffing.
8. Heat pan adding 1tbs of oil,add the stuffed bitter melons.
9. Fry them in a medium/low flame changing the sides.(do not put the stuffing side down)
10.Fry them until color changes to dark brown. serve hot.

Nutritional Values: This is good for diabetes and kills the germs in stomach.

Tastes good with white rice.