Pavakai ( Bitter Gourd ) Pitlai

Ingredients:

• Bitter gourd - 1 cup ( chopped )
• Cooked black channa - 5 tblspn
• Toor dal - 1/4 cup
• Tamarind - small lemon size
• Sambar powder - 2 tspn
• Salt - to taste

To roast and grind:

• Oil - 1/2 tspn
• Channa dal - 1/2 tblspn
• Urad dal - 1/2 tblspn
• Coriander seeds - 1 tblspn
• Dry red chilli - 3 nos
• Coconut grated - 2 tblspn
• Raw rice - 1 tspn

For Temper :

• Oil - 2 tspn
• Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
• Curry leaves - few nos
• Dry red chilli - 1 or 2 
• Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tspn

Method:

• Wash and soak channa dal over night and cook along with toor dal in pressure cooker for 4 whistle or until it becomes soft
• Soak tamarind in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes and take juice from it
• In a cooking vessel take tamarind juice, bitter gourd, salt,sambar powder and boil it 
• Meanwhile roast and grind the ingredients given under the heading To roast and grind and keep it ready
• After bitter gourd cooked add channa and keep in low flame for a minute or two
• Then add the grinded paste along with dal and mix well
• When you get the desired consistency ( either thick or thin ) switch off the stove 
• Heat oil in a kadai add the ingredients given under For temper and add to the pitlai
• Serve the tasty bitter gourd pitlai along with plain rice 

Note:

• While roasting the ingredients switch off the stove and then add the coconut gratings
• Small amount of  jaggery can also add at the end

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