Sour and Spicy Bitter Melon Curry
This chile pepper gets its name from its origin. In Spanish, serrano is an adjective meaning “from the mountains” which is where it originated-in the mountains of Hildalgo, Mexico. The serrano is normally about twice as hot as Jalapeno
(about 10,000 to 15,000 Scoville units).It is the second most popular chile pepper in Mexico. This chile is used mostly for salsas but can also be used in soups, sauces, chili or stews.Try these as a hotter substitute for Jalapeno.
Ingredients:
3 cups bitter gourd, finely sliced
2 medium red onions, halved and finely sliced
2 medium tomatoes, diced small
3-4 green chiles, slit lengthwise
15 curry leaves, torn, plus extra sprig for tempering
2 ½ to 3 tablespoons tamarind paste, or to taste (I used Priya tamarind paste)
3 ¾ cups water, divided
2 ½ teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
salt, to taste
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 dry red chiles, broken
Instructions:
Serves 4-5.
To prep the melon, trim the ends off and halve each lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and spongy insides discard. Cut the halved melons into thin slices.
Meanwhile, dissolve tamarind pate in ¾ cup warm water and set aside.
Put bitter melon, onion, tomato, green chili, curry leaf, tamarind water, remaining water and salt in a medium pot (I prefer cooking in a clay pot). Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Then tip in ground chili and turmeric and cook until vegetables soften, and liquid reduces to a thick sauce, about 25-30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Finally, heat oil in a small skillet until shimmering. Add mustard seeds and cook until fragrant and sizzling, about 10 seconds. Then stir in broken dry red chiles and curry leaves quickly remove from heat. Pour the spice-infused oil over the curry, stir, and serve warm scooped up with plain rice.
From nashplateful.blogspot.com