Stuffed bitter gourd

I know a lot of people wince and make faces at the mention of bitter gourd but I have always liked eating it cooked the traditional South Indian way. It does have a bitter taste of course but it is another flavour which we have become habituated to and one that I personally feel isn’t explored enough !

This is the reason that i am always on the lookout for different recipes featuring the bitter gourd or bitter melon as it is called in other parts of the world. The pagarkkai or pavakkai is delicious when cooked in the TamilNadu style in puli kolambu , poriyal ,vathal (deep fried). I remember my mother even making a pavakka salad with green chillies , lemon and coconut which was quite delicious as well.

Understanding and appreciating our native ingredients has become somewhat of an exciting journey for me, one that I am also eager to share as I go along this route. I fear that by not eating these foods we are at a risk of them getting extinct which also takes away the many nutritional benefits we can imbibe while also putting the environment on a low immunity path.

(The richer the bio diversity, the healthier the eco system, soil , air and sustaining of life )

So when we stumbled on the se baby bittergourds called midhi pavakkai, I was mighty excited because I have been wanting to try a recipe which requires stuffing the cavity with a simple masala mix.

Do you remember a scene from the lunch box, where she made these bitter gourds and carefully stuffed them before tying with string and frying ? It’s one of my favourite scenes from the movie. do watch it if you havent’t. Try this recipe. Check out your local famer’s market for this amazing vegetable.