Crispy Bitter Gourd Fry (Pavakkai Chips)

My 126th recipe, "Crispy Bitter Gourd Fry (Pavakkai Chips)", a wonderful side / snack. It has become a habit of mine recently to have potato chips along with my lunch. Though I just have a few pieces, that is more than enough for me to feel guilty. More carbs and more salt. In order to stop that habit on its track, I wanted to try making a healthier chips to go with my lunch today. When I saw the pavakkai sitting in my fridge, I knew that they were destined to be turned into chips. While it is easier to make crispy potato chips, I was not really sure if pavakkai would turn crispy. So to add a bit of crispiness and taste, I add some flour and spices along with the pavakkai. The end product was a simply amazing, delicious and crispy pavakkai chips. I didn't even taste any bitterness and it was way better than the store bought potato chips. It was perfect for lunch with my tomato rice and it doubled up as being a perfect snack with my evening cup of tea too 😉

Pavakkai Chips

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• Bitter gourd / Pavakkai - 2 medium
• Rice flour - 1 Tbsp
• Corn flour - ½ Tbsp
• Red chilli powder - ½ tsp
• Coriander powder - ½ tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Turmeric - A large pinch
• Salt - ¼ tsp
• Water - as needed
• Oil - For frying

Instructions

 

• First wash and cut the pavakkai into thin slices. Heat the oil in kadai for frying.
  
   
• Now, take a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients along with sliced pavakkai. Sprinkle little water and mix thoroughly until the masala gets coated over the pavakkai. I added about 1 Tbsp of water.
  
   
• Fry the pavakkai in batches over medium-high flame until golden brown. Transfer to paper napkin to drain excess oil.
  
   
  
   
• Serve warm.
  

Notes | FAQ

- You don't need any extra method to remove the bitterness of pavakkai.
- Slicing the pavakkai as thin as possible is very important to achieve the best crispy texture. You can use a slicer. I did not have one and did it with a sharp kitchen knife.
- Just sprinkle enough water to let the masala stick to the pavakkai. Do not add more water. Pavakkai will absorb more oil while frying.
- You can store the chips in air tight container or zip lock pouch and enjoy for 2-3 days.
- Try to use only sufficient oil while frying. The bitterness of pavakkai may infuse into the oil while frying and you may not be able to use the oil later for other cooking.