Karathe Kadam

Karathe is a Konkani word for Bitter Gourd/Karela. Karathe Kadam is a recipe in which the fried bitter gourd is cooked in a sweet & spicy sauce and the mixture is later fried on a tava. This dish gets its unique flavor from a spice called "Theppal" or "Sichuan Pepper" which is commonly used in Konkani, Nepali and Chinese cuisines.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd - 1

Salt

Coconut - 1/8 th cup

Red Chillies - 10 (small)

Tamarind - a small piece

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Jaggery - 2 medium cubes

Sichuan Pepper/Theppal - 6

Preparation:

1.) Cut the bitter gourd into very small pieces, apply salt and keep aside for 10 mins.

2.) We use less coconut and more red chillies in this dish.

3.) Grind coconut, red chillies, salt, tamarind and turmeric powder.

4.) Mix jaggery and crushed Theppal (Sichuan Pepper) to the above paste. Mix well, the jaggery should dissolve completely in the paste.

5.) Drain the water from the Bitter Gourd and mix it in the paste.

6.) Heat oil in pan. Once the oil is heated, add the paste, put oil on top and let it fry really well. It should get a bit of smoky burnt flavor.

Karathe Kadam is ready to be served as a side with rice & Dalitoy.