Ingredients

• 5 - pavakai or karela.
• 5 tbsp - coconut, shredded.
• 7 - small onions.
• 1 - tomato, medium (optional).
• 1/5 tbsp - khus khus.
• 1/2 tsp - turmeric powder.
• 1 tsp - chilli powder.
• 1.5 tbsp - coriander powder.
• 1 - tamarind, small lemon size.
• 1/2 tsp - mustard for tampering.
• 6-10 - curry leaves.
• salt as per taste.
• 3 tbsp - oil.

How to Make Pavakai Peratal (Karela Masala)

• Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water.
• Wash and cut pavakai into small pieces removing all the seeds.
• Add salt to it, keep it aside for 30 mins.
• Cut the onions and tomato to small pieces.
• Grind coconut, khus khus and tamarind to form a smooth paste.
• Add masala powders and salt to the ground mixture.
• Put the mixture in 1 cup of water and preserve the liquid.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai.
• Squeeze water out of the Pavakai and add it to the hot oil.
• Fry the pavakai till it becomes semi-prepared.
• Remove it from the kadai.
• Add 2 tbsp oil to the same kadai.
• Add mustard to the oil.
• Add curry leaves to it once it stops spluttering.
• Add onions and keep stirring till the onion becomes soft and starts changing colour.
• Then add tomato and stir for 2 minutes.
• Add the ground mixture and the reserved the liquid from the mixture.
• Once the masala starts boiling, add the pavakai and stir the mixture once.
• Put a lid and let the pavakai cook.
• Keep cooking till pavakai is well done and the mixture has a semi-solid consistency.
• This can be used as a side dish or as a main dish to go with plain white rice.