Bitter gourd pakoda/ Karela pakoda/ Pavakkai chips is a crispy and yummy deep fried snack made with bitter gourd/pavakkai, gram flour, rice flour and spices. This pakoda can be served as a tea time snack or can be served with lunch instead of papad. This simple and easy to make pakoda involves very less basic ingredients that are always available in the pantry. These crispy pakoda will be adored by the bitter gourd haters as well as the bitterness wont be felt as the bitter gourd is deep fried. So let’s get to the making!
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
SERVES
5 min
15 min
20 min
3
Ingredients
Bitter gourd / Karela/ Pavakkai – 1
Besan/ Gram flour– ¾ cup
Rice flour – ¼ cup
Chilli powder – ½ tsp
Salt- to taste
Hing – pinch
Water – ¼ to ½ cup
Curry leaves – few
Oil – for deep frying
Note
* 1 cup = 235 ml
How to make Bitter gourd pakoda with step by step images
Heat oil in a frying pan. In a bowl add thinly sliced onions bitter gourd, besan/ gram flour, rice flour, salt and pinch of hing. Mix well.
Now add water gradually to form the vegetable pakoda batter. (I used ¼ to ½ cup water to make batter) The batter wont cover the bitter gourd slices fully and wont be a perfect batter because want to achieve crispy pakoda and not soft bajji. Make pakoda immediately otherwise the batter will become watery and will wont yield crispy pakoda.
Now add each piece of bitter gourd slices coated in batter in oil. Fry them in medium flame until crispy and light golden color. When done remove it using slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel and serve it hot with chai/ tea/ as side dish for lunch instead of papad. Repeat the process till all the bitter gourd is over. Then fry curry leaves separately and garnish the pakoda and relish it.