Pavakkai (Bittergourd) Pitlai

Bittergourd/Pavakkai Pitlai is one of my favourite bittergourd recipes.It is prepared in a tamarind base with freshly ground spices and tastes great with rice.I have added some cooked chickpeas too the pitlai. 

Ingredients:

Bittergourd chopped	1 1 /2 cups
Chickpeas	1/4  cup
Toor dhal	½ cup
Tamarind	Small lime size
Salt	As needed
Jaggery	Small piece
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Oil	2 tsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Curry leaves	few
To roast and grind
Coriander seeds	2 tsp
Channa dhal	1 tsp
Urad dhal	1/2 tsp
Red chilli	2-3
Pepper	5-6
Coconut grated	4 tblsp

Method:

• Soak chickpeas overnight and Pressure cook the chickpeas and toor dhal seperately.
• Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and roast all the ingredients in "To roast and grind" table except coconut to golden colour.Transfer to a plate and cool.Roast coconut seperately and keep aside.Grind the roasted ingredients first to a fine powder adding roasted coconut at the end and grind them together.
• Take the chopped Bittergourd in a vessel and add enough water and a pinch of salt.Boil for 3-4 mins and now drain the bittergourd in a colander and rinse with water( You can skip this rinsing step if the bittergourd is not too bitter).
• Extract 2 cups of tamarind water from the tamarind.
• Now take the tamarind water,turmeric powder,jaggery piece and the bittergourd in a vessel,add  salt and boil well till the raw smell of tamarind goes off and bittergourd is fully cooked.
• Now add the chickpeas,mashed toor dhal and the prepared spice powder.Adjust the consistency by adding required water and boil for 3-4 mins .
• Heat a pan with oil,add mustard seeds followed by curry leaves and add to the pitlai.