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Recipe Snapshot
Dairy
Soothing
Tangy
Cucumber
Salt
Yogurt Sushi rice
Pomegranate arils
[pavakkai thokku] - Recipe below:
You can make this with any pickle of your choice!
Pavakkai Thokku (Bitter gourd Thokku)
Bitter gourd, chopped
Onion or pearl onions
Tomato
Garlic
Sambar powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
Salt as needed
Sesame oil
Thick tamarind extract
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
A few methi seeds
Jaggery — small piece
Curry leaves
For the pavakkai thokku:
Wash bitter gourd and cut into small cubes. (I used the one without ridges which is less bitter)
Add 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan and saute the bitter gourd with little salt and turmeric powder. Cook until it becomes soft.
Take it off the pan and keep it aside.
In the same pan, add 1 tblsp oil and add the mustard seeds, cumin and fenugreek seeds.
When the mustard seeds starts crackling, add finely chopped onion. Once it becomes translucent add chopped garlic.
Once they start cooking , add chopped tomatoes and a little salt.
To this mixture, add a little sambar powder. Saute for 30 seconds.
Add curry leaves and the half cooked bitter gourd.
Add 2 tbsps of tamarind water and let it cook until it becomes a semi gravy.
At this point add little jaggery and 1 tbsp of sesame oil and saute until it becomes a little thicker in consistency (adding jaggery is to balance the bitter and tartness in the dish).
Carefully use a peeler and shave thin slices down the length of the cucumber. Sprinkle a light layer of salt down the length of each slice, and wipe off — including excess moisture as well.
To wrap the sushi: place a thin layer of yogurt rice on about one-fifth of the length of the cucumber slice. Add in a small dollop of the pavakkai thokku on the rice layer. Rotating carefully, roll down the length of a roll. When almost finished, wet the very tip of the cucumber slice to make it adhere to the roll. Top with more thokku and a few pomegranate arils.