Rava fried teasel gourd or phagla phodi is a delicious side dish belonging to the Konkani cuisine. To make pan fried kantola, we slice teasel gourd, marinate it with spices, coat in spiced semolina(rava) and shallow fry in less oil. Kakrol fry is a must try vegan monsoon recipe. In monsoon, several seasonal vegetables are available, and you should always eat the local vegetables available in that particular season. One such vegetable is teasel gourd also known as spiny gourd or forest bitter gourd. It is known as fagla, phagla, phagila, kantola or kakrol in local Indian languages.
Let us see some spiny gourd benefits or forest bitter gourd health benefits:
There are numerous health benefits of teasel gourd. It is a rich source of antioxidants. It contains flavonoids such as beta carotene and hence helps to keep skin healthy. The antioxidants present in it has anti-ageing properties. Spiny gourd is rich in protein and low in calories. It is also high in fibre. We should consume this vegetable in monsoon as it keeps stomach infections at bay. It also controls constipation. This vegetable also helps in controlling diabetes and lowering blood sugar and also helps in preventing fatty liver disease.
You might be interested in other monsoon delicacy like:
Let us see the ingredients used in making rava fried phagla phodi or pan-fried teasel gourd:
- Spiny gourd: Use firm, fresh, green spiny gourd. You can also use slightly yellow ones, but don’t use if they have become soft or if they have dried.
- Spices: Simple spices like red chili powder and turmeric powder which are easily available in pantry are used to make this kantola fry recipe.
- Flour: Rice flour and rava(semolina) are used in this recipe. If rice flour is not available, you can use just rava for coating.
- Oil: Use any type of cooking oil for frying the teasel gourd.
You might be interested in other spiny gourd recipes like – easy teasel gourd stir fry.
How to cook spiny gourd in semolina?
- Cut the stem and bottom part of the spiny gourd. Slice the spiny gourd and place them in water for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, drain the water and apply red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt to them evenly. - For the coating, mix the rava, rice flour, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
- Coat the sliced phagla in prepared spiced rava and rice flour powder.
- Spread 1 tablespoon oil on tava/frying pan and place the rava coated teasel gourd on the tava.
- Spread 1 teaspoon oil on top of the kantola slices in tava. Cover with lid and cook.
- After 8 minutes, flip to other side and fry for 10 minutes.
How to serve these rava fried phagla?
Serve the fried teasel gourd as a side dish with rice, tomato saar, methi subzi and salad.
Some people might not like the first taste of pan-fried spiny gourd. But after the second bite you will surely like it, just like how I fell in love with phagla or fagla (as they pronounce in Konkani). Forest bitter gourd looks similar like bitter gourd. They both belong to same family, but just like cousins – one is sweet(forest bitter gourd) and one is bitter(karela or bitter gourd).
Kantola Fry With Rava | Spiny Gourd Fry | Phagla Phodi
Ingredients
- 4 Forest Bitter gourd/fagla/kantola
- 2 teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the coating:
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoon rava/sooji
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- To taste salt
- 2 tablespoon oil for shallow frying
Instructions
- Cut the stem and bottom part of the spiny gourd. Slice the forest bitter gourd and place them in water for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, drain the water and apply 2 teaspoon red chili powder, ½ turmeric powder and salt to them evenly.
- For the coating, mix the rava, rice flour, chilli powder, turmeric powder, and salt. (Check quantity in “For the coating:” section in ingredients)
- Coat the sliced phagla in prepared spiced rava and rice flour powder.
- Spread 1 tablespoon oil on tava/frying pan and place the rava coated teasel gourd on the tava.
- Spread 1 teaspoon oil on top of the kantola slices in tava. Cover with lid and cook.
- After 8 minutes, flip to other side and fry for 10 minutes.
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Note: This post was originally published on 17-Aug-2012. It has been updated with new images and republished.
Healthy Recipe,luks tempting…
never tasted it.. looks great..
I too never cooked with this, though saw it in Bangalore. Will cook it next time. Will it be very bitter?
Never seen this vegetable.
Looks Delicious. Sure going to try it.
I'm seeing this first time.. must have tasted awesome:)
No Dear, it tastes sweet. Only the name is bitter 🙂
Never had bitter guard this way- nice! Thank you for stopping by my blog and your lovely comments.
I have never seen this vegetable .Sounds interesting
Those are not any different from the regular bitter gourd on the inside, but SO different on the outside!!! looks yummy Raksha – It has been a cultivated taste for me, but I think that came also with maturity 🙂
I have never seen this but would love to try it. I love your story of how you came to try it and the one about you at the megastore. I would definitely be one of those ladies who would come over and ask you about it and would be thrilled if you gave me a cooking lesson too:)
Likes to have a try..But I should search for this veggie in my place..Thnx for sharing
That's what we call in Bengali 'Kakrol'. Never one of my favs either, I now miss it at times because we don't get them here. Ironic?
Love your blog 🙂
I love bitter-gourds, never seen this kind of bitter-gourds here. They look delicious!
Hi Raksha,
Thanks for you comment on my blog. Glad to follow your blog 🙂
I have never seen this forest bitter gourd before. SOmething new to me
Another interesting vegetable – I have not come across. I am curious – Do you feel the outside like we do with karela or just wash and leave it?
Mina
The outside of this vege is soft and we just have to wash and eat the entire vege, including the seeds…
Hi Raina,
DO try and let me know how it turns 🙂
-Raksha
Thanks Shirley for visiting my blog 🙂
Yes Archana do try and let me know, I am sure you will wait for each season for them…
wer is it available usually ,wat wil be the cost?……plz reply
Available in market during the season, around august/september. Costs around 100 per KG
Never tried earlier. Looks good and tasty. Will try tomorrow.