The freshly prepared spice powder is stuffed inside the bitter gourds and cooked on low heat till soft inside and crisp outside. Serve peanuts stuffed bitter gourd with plain steamed rice.

Makes: 6 Stuffed Bitter Gourds. Ingredients: 6 Small Raw 1/4 Cup 4 Tbsps Whole Red Chiles 2 – 3 2 inch Piece Salt to taste Oil 1 Tbsp + 1/4 tsp Method of preparation: Heat a pan on low heat, add raw peanuts and roast them till they turn golden brown on all sides.

Remove the peanuts from heat, add sesame seeds. Toast the sesame seeds for few seconds and remove from heat.

Heat 1/4 tsp of oil in the same pan, add broken red chiles and fry till aromatic or until they are crisp and turn dark. Cool the ingredients to room temperature.

Grind roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, red chiles, tamarind and salt into somewhat coarse powder. Lightly scrape, wash, remove ends and make a vertical slit in the stomach of bitter gourd keeping its ends intact.

Remove and discard seeds to hollow the bitter gourds. Stuff each bitter gourd with few tablespoons of prepared peanuts sesame powder.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a nonstick pan on medium low heat, arrange the stuffed bitter gourds in the pan. Cook covered on low flame for bitter gourds to soften and starts to turn golden brown (around 8 minutes).

Uncover, make sure to carefully turn the bitter gourd to uncooked side and cook covered for few more minutes. Uncover and turn the bitter gourds on the uncooked sides and fry till they are completely cooked and starts to turn dark brown.

Serve peanuts stuffed bitter gourd with plain steamed rice. Notes: Choose small thin bitter gourds which aid in proper stuffing and frying.

Suggestions: If bitter gourd is not cooked properly, put them back on heat, sprinkle few drops of water if necessary and cook covered till done. If using large bitter gourds, either deep fry them or increase the cooking time.

Add more oil while frying for a crispier version of stuffed bitter gourds Variations: To reduce the bitterness, apply a tsp of salt all over and inside the bitter gourd. Leave aside for an hour or two and wash under running water before stuffing them.

Other Names: Stuffed Bitter Gourds (less)

drain water from the chick peas. Wash it again.

put chickpeas with six cups of water in a cooker, add salt, turmeric powder, bring to full pressure on high heat, reduce heat, cook for 30 min. remove cooker from heat, allow to cool naturally.

in heavy pan heat mustard oil, add cumin seeds, fry till light brown, add onion, garlic, ginger mix well, cover it fully, lower heat, cook for five min, open the cover, stir consciously, fry till light brown, add green coriander leaves, cook for 1mt, add boiled peas, lemon juice, cook it for 15mts on medium flame. serve hot (less)