Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju with step by step video instructions. Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju is a curry made from bittergourd or karela and raw mangoes. This summer curry is a melting bowl of flavors, it is bitter, sweet, sour and spicy. Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju tastes best with rice. This curry suits a vegan or plant based diet, gluten free diet and a Jain diet.
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I first posted this recipe 5 years ago, in June 2015. I remember my mom was in Bangalore and we had gone vegetable shopping with her. She had gotten very excited looking at the Amtekai or Ambada (Hogplums), that were available in abundance at the vegetable shop. We had already picked up the bittergourd or karela or hagalkai and were thinking of the pairing up with the amtekai, when she felt raw mango would be a better accompaniment. So we picked up raw mangoes and bittergourd and came home and made this Gojju. Since then, I make this curry at least once every summer.
What is a Gojju?
Gojju is a curry from Karnataka that is usually sweet and sour. It has tamarind added for sourness and jaggery for sweetness. It may or may not have a coconut base.
Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju is made using Bittergourd or Karela, that brings a hint of bitterness to the curry, the raw mangoes bring in the sourness, jaggery is added for sweetness and red chillies for the heat.
The prep...
This Gojju can convert a Karela hater. The way in which the karela is cooked brings down the bitterness to such low levels that it is no more unpleasant. The karela is peeled, cored and then salted and left aside for the bitterness to flow out. This can be done days in advance. The salted karela can be kept in the fridge for almost a week. Remove it out when you are ready to cook. The salted karela is squeezed so that the bitter juices are extracted and then can be discarded. Soaking them in water and then squeezing makes it easier to remove the juices.
The squeezed karela is then boiled until it is cooked, the water is discarded. This step removes the more of that bitterness.
The flavors...
The remaining bitterness is balanced with the sourness of the raw mangoes. If the mangoes are not sour enough on their own, use tamarind juice. As mentioned above, the curry tastes good with any sour fruit like amtekai. So if you have any local sour fruit, you can use that.
Jaggery is added for sweetness. Use sugar if you don't have jaggery.
The Gojju has a base of coconut, rice, and lentils along with the spices. The toasted rice and urad dal help thicken the curry. Coconut further helps in mellowing down the strong flavor of the bittergourd or karela.
Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju tastes best with rice, but if you make a thicker consistency, it can be enjoyed with roti or chapati too.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
Video Recipe
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Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju is a curry made from bittergourd or karela and raw mangoes. This summer curry is a melting bowl of flavors, it is bitter, sweet, sour and spicy. Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju tastes best with rice. This curry suits a vegan or plant based diet, gluten free diet and a Jain diet.
Recipe Type: Curry
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4
2 Bitter Gourd (Karela / Hagalkai)
1 Raw Mango
0.5 cup grated Coconut
1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Rice
1 tsp Urad Dal
3-4 Red Chillies
0.25 Fenugreek Seeds (Methi dana)
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
2-3 Tbsp Jaggery Powder
1 Tbsp Tamarind (Optional)
3-4 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required
1. Peel and deseed/core the bittergourd (karela /hagalkai). Cut to 0.5" to 1" pieces.
2. Add the cut bittergourd to a bowl. Add 1 tsp of salt and mix well. Keep aside for 1-2 hour. You can also keep it overnight in a box in the fridge.
3. After 1-2 hour, add 1 cup water to the bittergourd and squeeze them gently. Now take a handful out of the water and squeeze well and keep the bittergourd aside. Continue to squeeze all the bittergourd, this helps in removing the bitter juices. Once all the bittergourd is squeezed, discard the water.
4. Add the bittergourd to a kadhai or pan and water to cover it. Cover and cook until the bittergourd is cooked through. Drain the bittergourd and keep aside. Discard the water.
5. Dice the raw mango into small pieces and add to the same kadhai. Add water and cook until the mango is soft. Drain and save the water.
6. In a dry pan, add the urad dal, rice and fenugreek seeds and toast on low heat until lightly golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
7. Add 1 tsp oil to the pan and add the dry red chillies and roast until crisp. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
8. Add the urad dal, rice, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, grated coconut and 0.5 cup of the water in which the mango was cooked to a blender. Blend until smooth.
9. Heat the remaining oil in a kadhai for the tempering and add the mustard seeds.
10. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the ground masala and fry on low heat for 5-6 minutes.
11. Add the turmeric powder, 1 Tbsp jaggery powder, salt and 0.5 cup water and mix well.
12. Add in the boiled bittergourd and mango.
13. Add salt and jaggery to taste if required. If the curry is not sour enough, soak the tamarind in a little warm water and squeeze out the tamarind juice and add to the curry.
14. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency.
15. Simmer on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
16. Serve hot with rice or chapati.
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Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju | Bittergourd (Karela) & Raw Mango Curry Recipe
Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju is a curry made from bittergourd or karela and raw mangoes. This summer curry is a melting bowl of flavors, it is bitter, sweet, sour and spicy. Hagalkai Mavinkai Gojju tastes best with rice. This curry suits a vegan or plant based diet, gluten free diet and a Jain diet.Recipe Type: Curry
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4
Author: Anupama
Ingredients:
2 Bitter Gourd (Karela / Hagalkai)
1 Raw Mango
0.5 cup grated Coconut
1 Tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Rice
1 tsp Urad Dal
3-4 Red Chillies
0.25 Fenugreek Seeds (Methi dana)
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
2-3 Tbsp Jaggery Powder
1 Tbsp Tamarind (Optional)
3-4 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required
Method:
1. Peel and deseed/core the bittergourd (karela /hagalkai). Cut to 0.5" to 1" pieces.
2. Add the cut bittergourd to a bowl. Add 1 tsp of salt and mix well. Keep aside for 1-2 hour. You can also keep it overnight in a box in the fridge.
3. After 1-2 hour, add 1 cup water to the bittergourd and squeeze them gently. Now take a handful out of the water and squeeze well and keep the bittergourd aside. Continue to squeeze all the bittergourd, this helps in removing the bitter juices. Once all the bittergourd is squeezed, discard the water.
4. Add the bittergourd to a kadhai or pan and water to cover it. Cover and cook until the bittergourd is cooked through. Drain the bittergourd and keep aside. Discard the water.
5. Dice the raw mango into small pieces and add to the same kadhai. Add water and cook until the mango is soft. Drain and save the water.
6. In a dry pan, add the urad dal, rice and fenugreek seeds and toast on low heat until lightly golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
7. Add 1 tsp oil to the pan and add the dry red chillies and roast until crisp. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
8. Add the urad dal, rice, fenugreek seeds, red chillies, grated coconut and 0.5 cup of the water in which the mango was cooked to a blender. Blend until smooth.
9. Heat the remaining oil in a kadhai for the tempering and add the mustard seeds.
10. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the ground masala and fry on low heat for 5-6 minutes.
11. Add the turmeric powder, 1 Tbsp jaggery powder, salt and 0.5 cup water and mix well.
12. Add in the boiled bittergourd and mango.
13. Add salt and jaggery to taste if required. If the curry is not sour enough, soak the tamarind in a little warm water and squeeze out the tamarind juice and add to the curry.
14. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency.
15. Simmer on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
16. Serve hot with rice or chapati.
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