Paavakkai Pitla

Bitter gourd is not a very tasty vegetable, but if used properly will bring a  new taste to the dishes. For this you need

Ingredients

3 karela/ Bitter gourd chopped (in round slices)

 small lemon size tamarind

3 tbsp fried coconut

3/4th cup Tuvar dal

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

fry in oil and Grind into paste

1 tsp chana dal

1 tsp urad dal

3 red chillies

Pinch of asafoetida

1/3 tsp ground pepper

 For Seasoning

Fried coconut scraps

Kadipatta/ curry leaves

Method

1) Roast the chopped bitter gourd in a pan with some oil and salt. Fry it well till it gets properly cooked. Keep it aside.

2) Cook Tuvar dal in a pressure cooker.

3) Fry in oil chana dal, urad dal, red chillies, asafoetida and pepper. Grind it.

4) Soak tamarind in warm water. After a while, discard the pulp after squeezing the juice out. Keep the tamarind juice in a pan with turmeric powder and asafoetida. Let it start boiling.

5) Once it starts boiling, add cooked bitter gourd and cooked tuvar dal. Add salt. Let the flame be low and let it start boiling.

6) Fry in oil some coconut scraps until it turns light brown. Add it and curry leaves to the dish. Serve hot with rice.