🥒✨ Bitter Gourd Pickle – A Simple & Tasty Homemade Recipe

Simple Bitter Gourd Pickle Recipe 🍯🥒

Ingredients:

• Bitter gourd – 250 g
• Oil – 3 tbsp (preferably gingelly oil / sesame oil)
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Garlic – 6–8 cloves (optional)
• Curry leaves – a few
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Chilli powder – 2 tsp
• Fenugreek powder – ¼ tsp
• Salt – as needed
• Tamarind – a small lemon-sized ball (soaked in warm water)
• Jaggery – 1 tbsp (optional, to balance bitterness)

Method:

1. Prepare the bitter gourd:
   • Wash and slice bitter gourd into thin pieces.
   • Sprinkle a little salt, mix, and keep aside for 15–20 minutes.
   • Squeeze out the water to reduce bitterness.
2. Fry the bitter gourd:
   • Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan.
   • Fry the bitter gourd pieces until slightly crispy. Remove and keep aside.
3. Make the pickle base:
   • In another pan, heat 2 tbsp oil.
   • Add mustard seeds, let them splutter.
   • Add garlic cloves (optional) and curry leaves.
   • Add turmeric, chilli powder, and fenugreek powder.
4. Add tamarind & jaggery:
   • Strain the tamarind water into the pan.
   • Add jaggery if you like a sweet-sour taste.
   • Let it boil for a few minutes until slightly thick.
5. Combine:
   • Add the fried bitter gourd slices into the pickle mix.
   • Stir well so the masala coats every piece.
6. Cool & Store:
   • Once cooled, transfer to a clean dry glass jar.
   • Stays fresh for a week at room temperature and up to 1 month in the fridge.