HAGALKAI TILI SAARU (BITTER GOURD RASAM)

Bitter gourd is commonly called Karela. Tili saaru is nothing but a watery rasam. This rasam is famous in the coastal area of Karnataka. Again, introduced to it by my grandmother. She is an avid cook. Took the recipe from her and tried it out. YUM, YUM, YUM!! It doesn’t have even a little bit of its bitter taste.

Nutritional benefits:

100g of bitter gourd gives 25kcal, 4.2g of carbohydrates, 1.6g of protein, and 0.2g of fat.

· Bitter gourd helps in managing diabetes mellitus. Saponins and terpenoids are two bioactive compounds present in bitter gourd responsible for the bitter flavor. These compounds help increase the uptake of glucose from the blood to cells and also help the liver and muscles to process better and store glucose.

· Bitter gourd contains polyphenols which act as anti-inflammatory compounds and help in decreasing inflammation.

· Bitter gourd helps in dealing with digestive problems like constipation, indigestion, gastric problems in elderly people and also aids in digestion and increase appetite.

· For kidney problems, bitter gourd juice and steamed bitter gourd water are helpful.

· Bitter gourd juice also helps in purifying blood.

Ingredients:

· Bitter gourd (peeled and chopped into small pieces)- 4 in number

· Jaggery – 2 tsp

· Green chilies – 3-4 in number

· Coriander leaves – 1tsp

· Tamarind pulp – 2tsp

· Salt to taste

For tempering

· Coconut oil – 1 tsp

· Mustard seeds – 1tsp

· Jeera (cumin seeds) – ½ tsp

Method:

1) Take the chopped bitter gourd in a bowl and add a little salt to it. Leave it aside for an hour.

2) Squeeze the bitter gourd pieces so as to remove the water. By removing the water, the bitterness from the gourd is removed. Keep the pieces in a pan for preparing rasam.

3) In the same pan, add jaggery, salt, tamarind paste, and green chilies required for the rasam. Add water till the gourd pieces are submerged.

4) Let it cook, till the water evaporates and the remaining solids will form into a thick smooth consistency.

5) Add 3-4 cups of water for the rasam. Let it boil.

6) In a tempering pan, add coconut oil, mustard seeds, and jeera. Let it splatter.

7) Add the tempering and garnish with chopped coriander leaves into the boiling rasam.

8) Serve hot and enjoy it with rice and a spoon of ghee or just drink it!!