Ingredients

• 2 large - pavakkai/bitter gourd (cut in circles with the centre pith removed)
• 1/2 cup - chickpeas/garbanzo beans (soaked overnight and cooked)
• size of lime - tamarind
• 1 cup - cooked red gram dal/tur dal
• 1 tsp - mustard
• 1 tsp - black gram dal (urad dal)
• a few - curry leaves
• a few - cilantro
• 1/2 tsp - asafoetida
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp - jaggery/brown sugar
• to grind: 2 tsp - coriander seeds
• 1and1/2 tsp - Bengal gram dal/channa dal
• 1 tsp - black gram dal
• 4-5 - red chillies
• 1/4 cup - grated coconut

How to Make Pavakkai pitalai

• Fry in a tsp of oil the ingredients that are to be ground and grind to a paste.
• Wash and cut the pavakkai.
• Dissolve the tamarind in water and extract the juice.
• Cook the vegetable in the tamarind water, adding half a tsp of sambar powder, asafoetida and salt.
• Add the chickpeas when the vegetable is half cooked and continue to boil it until the pavakkai is cooked.
• Now add the ground paste and cooked dal and continue to boil until the sambar thickens.
• If needed, a little bit of rice flour can be dissolved in water and added to make the pittalai thick.
• Add the jaggery/brown sugar and mix well.
• Season with mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice.
• Recipe courtesy: My Cooking Journey