I present yet another delicious Udupi-Mangalore recipe. This recipe is from my husband’s side of the family. My sisters-in-law (I am blessed with five of them!) are wonderful cooks. When we visit one another, there’s invariably a wonderful recipe that I come away with.
This recipe resonates even more with me because it is a yard-to-table dish. I live in the Southern part of the United States where the sun shines bright and warm for several months in the year. Tropical vegetables have the right environment, including my tender-loving-care to grow and thrive.
I don’t even need to plant Bitter Gourd every year. Invariably, I miss picking a couple of gourds (they have an amazing ability to hide from view!). The gourds ripen and the seeds turn bright ruby red. They fall to the ground and lie dormant, braving the pretty severe winters that we have.
Come summer, the seeds put out tiny tendrils that fight the winds and reach towards something to twine against. Their valiant attempt against the forces of Nature are a constant source of wonder for me.
The bitter gourd leaves are probably pre-programmed with DNA that is unsavory to most bugs. So they are pretty much left alone. Within a few weeks, the vines spread their tendrils on the fence and put out these lovely yellow blossoms. I have a great time peering behind each flower to identify which are male and which are female. A tip: the females have a tiny fruit under their blossom. Another tip: the male blossoms arrive before their lady loves.
The bees then come and do what they do best. Pollinate. Before long, the female blossoms turn into bitter melons that hang gracefully with the “come thither and pick me” look.
Bitter Gourd Gojju – Hagalkayi Gojju – Menasakai
Now, about this dish. This is a recipe from the Udupi-Mangalore region of Karnataka, South India. My sister-in-law Shyla makes this dish and it is to die for! They eat it with rice; I have made slight modifications to the recipe so we can eat it with paratha (Indian bread), so it is less runny.
If you are put off by the word ‘bitter’ in this gourd’s name, I don’t blame you. I was just the same. But now, bitter gourd/karela is one of my favorite veggies. When the harvest is in plenty, I even make this Dehydrated Masala Bitter Gourd Chips to snack on. You will love this Sautéed Bitter Gourd as well.
You can use the same ingredients (skip tamarind juice) to make menasakai out of semi-raw mango (totapuri variety) or with pineapple. Yum! Check out my mom’s version of Pinapple Menasakai/Gojju.
Yard-to-Table/Zero Waste Recipes
I welcome you to try some of my homegrown, home cooked delights:
- Superfood Moringa Leaf Chutney
- Smoky Eggplant Chutney
- Crispy Air-Fried Masala Okra
- Zero-Waste Butternut Squash Sippe (Peel) Chutney
- Instant Pot Moringa Leaf Dal
- Yard-to-Table Beet Leaf Thoran
- Fresh Vegetarian Italian Basil Pesto
- Bhindi Okra Masala
- Balsamic Caprese
- Beet (Root & Green) Palya
- Rainbow Chard Red Lentil Stew
- Pickled Chili Peppers
- Malabar Spinach Chutney
- Chilled Cucumber Dill Soup
- Tabbouleh (Parsley Salad)
- Raw Green Tomato Chutney
Bitter gourd comes with some amazing health benefits. Bitter melon has been the focus of well over 100 clinical and observational studies. It’s best known for its hypoglycemic effects (the ability to lower blood sugar), and research shows that the melon’s juice, fruit and dried powder can all be used to mimic insulin’s effects and treat diabetes.
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Bitter Gourd (Karela) Curry / Hagalakayi Gojju (Menasakai)
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Bitter Gourd - Fine cut
- 6 Tablespoons Tamarind - Extract juice by soaking tamarind in warm water
- 1 Teaspoon Salt - Or to taste
- 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Jaggery - Powdered
Masala (For Grinding):
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
- 2 Teaspoons Chana Dal
- 2 Teaspoons Urad Dal
- 1/4 Teaspoon Methi (Fenugreek) Seeds
- 3 Dry Red Chili - Or to taste (use Guntur for spice; Byadige for color)
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut - Freshly grated
Tempering:
- 1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
- 1/4 Teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 2 Dry Red Chili
- 1 Curry Leaves - Sprig
Instructions
Masala (For Grinding):
- Dry roast sesame seeds until they turn a light brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
- In the same pan, dry roast chana dal, urad dal, methi (fenugreek) seeds, dry red chili and grated coconut until the lentils and coconut are lightly browned.
- Grind all the above to a fine powder.
- Wash and chop bitter gourd (karela) into small pieces. Remove seeds that are not tender.
- Wash and soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water for 10 minutes and extract the juice.
- In a thick bottom vessel, add bitter gourd pieces, tamarind juice and salt. Cook on a low-to-medium flame, with lid on. Stir once in a while to make sure the bitter gourd does not stick to the bottom of the vessel. Add a bit of water if needed.
- When the bitter gourd pieces are cooked, add the ground masala, turmeric powder and powdered jaggery. If you need the menasakai to be more liquid as it is made traditionally, add some water along with the ground masala. Mix well and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Tempering:
- In a small kadai (tempering pan), heat coconut oil. Splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chili, curry leaves and asafedita (hing). Turn off the heat. Add the tempering to the Menasakai, mix well and serve.
Love all your recipes.
The beauty is u have calories info
Best wishes. Mag.
Hi Mag, thanks so much for the encouraging words. I am so glad you love our content.
My mother used to make this and I have been looking for it’s recipe forever. Thanks for sharing it. I will make it soon and hopefully it will taste just like hers.
Hi Sridevi, so glad you found us! I do hope you enjoy making and eating it. The dish is traditionally made a little watery, so you can adjust according to your preference.