Pavakkai Pitla
Bittergourd cooked in a tamarind gravy with jaggery, coconut, red chillies and other ground spices
Ingredients
- Pavakkai / Bittergourd - 1 medium sized
- Tamarind - 1 lemon size
- Toor dal / Pigeon peas - 1/2 cup
- Jaggery - 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
- Oil - 2 tsp
- Salt - to taste
To roast and grind
- Oil - 1 tsp
- Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
- Chana dal / Kadalai parippu - 1 tsp
- Split urad dal - 1/2 tsp
- Dried red chillies - 5 to 6
- Black peppercorn - 6
- Asafoetida / Hing - 1/8 tsp
- Curry leaves - 4
- Coconut - 1/2 cup
To temper
- Oil - 1 tsp
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Dried red chillies - 1
- Curry leaves - 1 sprig
- Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch
Instructions
- In a small pan, heat 1 tsp oil and add asafoetida, coriander seeds, chana dal, peppercorn, red chilies, curry leaves and fry till the chana dal turns golden.
- To this add coconut and fry for a minute. Remove from heat, cool and grind to a smooth paste adding little water. Set aside.
- Soak tamarind in 1 1/2 cup hot water and extract the pulp.
- Pressure cook the toor dal in 1 cup water with a pinch of turmeric powder. Mash the dal well and set aside.
- Cut the bittergourd half in lengthwise and scrap off the seeds and white part from the middle. Now cut them into small pieces.
- Heat 2 tsp oil and add the bittergourd pieces. Fry them in medium flame for around 5-6 minutes.
- Now add tamarind water, jaggery, turmeric powder and salt. Boil until the raw smell of tamarind goes and bittergourd is cooked.
- Now add the ground paste and bring to boil. Once it starts to boil add the mashed dal, salt and mix well. Add little water if needed to bring to a medium thick consistency.
- Allow this to boil for 3-4 minutes and remove from heat.
- In a tadka pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it pops, add red chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and pour over the curry.
Notes
- The consistency of pitla should be thicker than sambar.
- You can add 1 tsp more jaggery if you feel the curry is very bitter.