Pavakai Pitle

PavakaiPitlai, also known as Bitter Gourd Pitlai, is a traditional South Indian recipe made with bitter gourd (pavakai) and toor dal. It's a flavorful and nutritious dish, usually served with rice.
Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 3 Medium-sized Bitter gourd (Pavakai)
  • 100 gms Toor dal
  • 1 small lemon-sized ball Tamarind
  • 75 gms Chana (chickpeas), soaked overnight or for at least 6 hours
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
  • To taste Salt
  • 1 tsp (optional) Jaggery
  • 75 gms Chana (chickpeas), soaked overnight or for at least 6 hours

For Spice Paste

  • 3 tbsp Grated coconut
  • 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp Chana dal
  • 6 to 8 Red chillies
  • 1 tsp Urad dal

For Tempering

  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • 1 pinch Asafoetida (hing)

Instructions

Preparation

Soak tamarind in water and extract the juice after 20 minutes.
Wash and chop the bitter gourds into small pieces.
Cook the dal in a pressure cooker until soft.
Boil the soaked and drained chana until tender.

Prepare Spice Paste

Dry roast coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal, and red chillies until golden brown in a frying pan.
Add grated coconut, roast for a few more minutes, let it cool, and then grind it into a paste with some water.

Cook Bitter Gourd

Boil the chopped bitter gourd with water, turmeric powder, and salt until soft. Drain and set aside.

Prepare Pitlai

Combine bitter gourd, tamarind extract, cooked toor dal, and chana in a large pan.
Add the ground spice paste jaggery (if using), and adjust the salt. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Tempering

Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds and add curry leaves and asafoetida when they splutter.
Pour this tempering over the pitlai and mix well.

Serve
Serve the PavakaiPitlai hot with rice.

Notes
Adjust the red chillies as per your spice preference.
Optionally, add jaggery to balance the bitterness of the bitter gourd.
Enjoy your cooking and the PavakaiPitlai meal!