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    Home

    Amma's Pavakai Pitlai / Bitter Gourd & Toor Dal Curry / Karela Curry

    September 20, 2013 By Aarthi 15 Comments

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    Can you believe that this is the first bitter gourd recipe in this blog. I am getting so many request from my viewers to post bitter gourd recipe. So here i am sharing my mom's special recipe. Bitter gourd is one of the vegetable which retain its bitterness even after it is cooked. But this doesn't even have a little bitterness in it. I dont know how it happened, may be it is because of cooking it in a pressure cooker or because of the jaggery and tamarind. But you have to trust me in this. So here you go to the recipe..

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    Preparation Time : 10 mins
    Cooking Time : 40 to 45 mins
    Serves - 5 to 6


    Ingredients:

    Onion - 1 large sliced
    Bitter Gourd / Pavakai - 1 large cut in half and sliced
    Toor Dal / Tuvaram Paruppu - ½ cup
    Oil - 1 tsp
    Salt to taste
    Tamarind Pulp - 3 tblspn or to taste (Click here for recipe)
    Jaggery / Sarkarai - 3 tblspn or to taste
    Chilli powder - 1 tblspn or to taste
    Coriander powder / Malli podi - 2 tblspn
    Turmeric powder / Manjal podi - 1 tsp

    For Seasoning:
    Oil - 1 tblspn
    Mustard Seeds / Kaduku - 1 tsp
    Urad dal / Ulundu Paruppu -1  tsp
    Curry leaves a spring
    Coconut - 3 tblspn grated

    Method:

    Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadai. Add in onions and bitter gourd and saute for 5 mins or so till it turn translucent.

    Now take toor dal in a pressure cooker and add the sauted veggies in it. Cover with water and pressure cook it for 3 whistle. Simmer the cooker for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and let the steam go all by itself. Open the pressure cooker and mash the veggies and dal slightly.

    Transfer this entire mixture into a kadai. Add in salt, tamarind pulp, jaggery, chilli pdr, coriander pdr, turmeric pdr and mix well.

    Bring everything to a boil. Simmer the flame and let it cook for 15 mins.

    Now make the seasoning. Heat oil and crackle mustard, urad dal, curry leaves and coconut. Fry it till golden.

    Pour this over the curry and mix well.

    Serve this with rice.

    Pictorial:

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    Saute onions and bittergourd in a tsp of oil

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    saute till onions turn translucent

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    Take some toor dal

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    Add to pressure cooker and add water

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    Add the sauted veggies

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    put over fire

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    Pressure cook
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    Now everything is cooked

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    Mash everything lightly

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    Pour it into a kadai

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    Add some tamarind juice

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    Season with salt

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    Add in jaggery

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    Chilli powder

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    coriander powder

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    turmeric powder

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    mix well..Let it simmer

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    Now make seasoning...Crackle mustard

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    add urad dal

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    curry leaves

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    coconut

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    fry it in oil

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    till golden
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    now the curry is done simmering
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    pour the seasoning
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    mix well
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    serve
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    Enjoy

    « Mutton Dalcha / Hyderabadi Mutton Dalcha / Lamb, Dal & Vegetable Gravy - Sidedish for Briyani & Ghee Rice
    Green Chilli Pickle / Maharashtrian Chilli Pickle / Hari Mirch Ka Achar »

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rumana Ambrin

      at

      very tasty and new to me...

      Reply
    2. Tamilarasi Sasikumar

      at

      Looks so good...Love this curry:)

      Reply
    3. Janani

      at

      I never touch or make this veggie urs makes me rethink lovely and flavorful recipe

      Reply
    4. Hamaree Rasoi

      at

      Healthy and comforting bitter gourd dal. Wonderfully prepared.
      Deepa

      Reply
    5. Priya Suresh

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      Wow, amma's version sounds quick and very delicious than the usual pitlai.

      Reply
    6. Pretend Chef

      at

      Looks delicious!

      Reply
    7. Anonymous

      at

      man,
      it's just unfair being in a different landscape. you should be getting helluva deal from PUBLISHERS if the dishes are western or something..

      we Indians never BUY any BOOKS (including yours humble myself)..

      let me also confess i will never SHARE anything to PUBLIC(because of laziness) like you do. it takes a hell lot of kindness to share it for free..

      you dishes are worth a million bucks! you are the best!!

      why? it works like a charm

      have a long life dear!

      Reply
    8. Anonymous

      at

      Super aarthi....u r doing great job....god bless u and ur family...

      Reply
    9. Unknown

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      Good recipe. Something different from the usual varient we make with bitter gourd.. tnx 🙂 Ammu Bhadra

      Reply
    10. trish kumar

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      Tried today.....Very nice....Thanq.....

      Reply
    11. Anonymous

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      Wow... cud Nt believe tat was bitter gourd... became a fan of tis veggie... tnx a lot for tis recipe aarti...

      Reply
    12. Vani

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      Sema... Too awesome. I was surprised its not bitter and tasted so good. Thanks a lot. Savior of my bad cooking.

      Reply
    13. Sowmya Ashwin

      at

      Hi Aarthi,The pictures show that you have not deseeded the pavakkais while cutting..are the seeds edible??Does this recipe require that we need to cook the paavakai with seed or can I deseed it and use??

      Reply
    14. Aarthi

      at

      Can i skip the coconut?

      Reply
      • Aarthi

        at

        u can. coconut adds toasty flavour

        Reply

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