Vegan Bitter gourd Curry / Pavaika Puli curry

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Bitter gourd curry is a tangy, sweet curry that goes well with a hot bowl of rice. This curry is vegan, gluten-free, and easy.

A bowl of bitter gourd curry with cilantro on side.
Vegan curry with bitter gourd.

Bitter gourd curry

Bitter gourds are one of the most nutritious veggies. But is hated by most of the people at the same time because of its bitterness. This is one easy and yummy recipe to include the bitter gourd in your diet. When you have this curry, you don’t even know how much you eat. This is a thick curry to have along with some hot rice.

Bitter gourd curry in a bowl.
Tangy, sweet bitter gourd curry.

How to make

Ingredients required

Ingredients to make bitter gourd curry.

Method

Cut the bitter gourd to half and deseed. Cut it into thin pieces. Soak tamarind in a half cup of water and extract tamarind pulp. Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds along with methi seeds. Add shallots and curry leaves. When shallots turn golden add tomato.

Bowl of pavaika puli curry.
A delicious bowl of bitter gourd curry.

Sauté it for a minute. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Sauté till tomatoes become mushy. Add chopped bitter gourd. Cook covered for a few minutes. Stir occasionally. When it’s almost done add tamarind extract, jaggery, and salt. Allow it to boil till the raw smell goes and thickens. Serve warm with rice and Potato fry.

More curry recipes

Vegan Okra Curry

Green gram Curry

Pineapple Madhura curry

Mushroom Curry

Mambazha Pulissery

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Love curry? Then you must check out Best Indian Curry recipes.

Recipe for bitter gourd curry

Ingredients

Pavaika/ Bitter gourd – 1 medium-sized

Shallots – 6

Tomato – 1 medium-sized chopped

Tamarind – half lemon-sized

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Red chili powder – 1 tsp

Jaggery – a small piece

Salt – as required

Mustard seeds – few

Methi seeds – 4 or 5

Curry leaves – few

Oil – 1 tsp

Method

  • Cut the bitter gourd to half and deseed. Cut it into thin pieces.
  • Soak tamarind in a half cup of water and extract tamarind pulp.
  • Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds along with methi seeds.
  • Add shallots and curry leaves.
  • When shallots turn golden add tomato.
  • Sauté it for a minute. Add turmeric powder and red chili powder.
  • Sauté till tomatoes become mushy.
  • Add chopped bitter gourd. Cook covered for a few minutes. Stir occasionally.
  • When it’s almost done add tamarind extract, jaggery, and salt.
  • Allow it to boil till the raw smell goes and thickens.
  • Serve warm with rice.
Step wise instructions to make bitter gourd curry.
Bowl of pavaika puli curry.
5 from 10 votes

Vegan Bitter gourd Curry

Author: Lathiya
Bitter gourd curry is a tangy, sweet curry that goes well with a hot bowl of rice. This curry is vegan, gluten-free, and easy.
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Bitter gourd curry, Pavaika puli curry, Vegan bitter gourd curry
Servings: 2 people
Calories:

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 Pavaika/ Bitter gourd medium-sized
  • 6 Shallots
  • 1 Tomato medium-sized chopped
  • Tamarind half lemon sized
  • 1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 Tsp Red chili powder
  • Jaggery a small piece
  • Salt as required
  • 1/4 Tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1/8 Tsp Methi seeds
  • Curry leaves few
  • 1 Tsp Oil

Instructions

  1. Cut the bitter gourd to half and deseed. Cut it to thin pieces.
  2. Soak tamarind in a half cup water and extract tamarind pulp.
  3. Heat oil in a pan and crackle mustard seeds along with methi seeds.
  4. Add shallots and curry leaves.
  5. When shallots turn golden, add tomato.
  6. Sauté it for a minute. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder.
  7. Sauté till tomatoes become mushy.
  8. Add chopped bitter gourd. Cook for a few minutes. Stir occasionally.

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Serve bitter gourd curry with rice.

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5 from 10 votes

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35 Comments

  1. I have never cooked bitterfgourd in curry form. Only stuffed or dried vrriosn I have made so far. This gravy with tamarind sounds quite intriguing.

  2. Sweet & tangy bitter gourd curry is also our favourite way to make this very underrated vegetable. We love it so much and it’s a must at least once in a fortnight!! Looks so delicious, I’m totally drooling 🤤

  3. I m salivating as i read thru the recipe! i love bittergourd, this puli kuzhambu is such a tempting combination of bitterness, tanginess and sweetness! A classic dish, love to enjoy it with steaming hot rice!!!

  4. We love bitter gourd in any form. Most of the time I prepare Bengali style curry. Next time I would give a try to this simple bitter gourd curry

  5. We all love bitter gourd and this is a great curry to use all the bitter gourd now growing in our backyard. This will work so well with rice.

  6. I’m not a bitter gourd fan at all but my hubby is. I think I’ll prepare this simple curry for him when I get some bitter gourd. He will be happy as its totally different to the way I make it.

  7. Tried this recipe. We loved it! It was spicy sweet tangy and bitter too. Had it with potato fry and pappadums and hot steaming rice to make it a complete South Indian fare