Pavakai pitlai (bitter gourd)

Ingredients

2 Bitter gourd
1/4 cup channa dal
1/2 cup toor dal
1/2 tsp Mustard
Curry leaves
1 slited Green chillie
Lime size tamarind (soaked in hot water and extracted)
Salt to taste
1 spoon sugar

For grinding masala

1/4 spoon pepper
2 tsp urad dal
2 tsp gram dal
A pinch of asafoetida
4 red chillies
Curry leaves few
4 tbsp coconut

Method

In a bowel add cut bitter gourd add one spoon sugar and salt mix well keep aside.
Pressure cook toor dal mash it well and keep aside.

Fry all the masala ingredients one by one including curry leaves, except coconut.
Grind to a paste along with coconut.

Method

Squeeze the bitter gourd from the mix of sugar and salt.
Heat 2 tsp of oil add mustard when they splutter add silted green chillie curry leaves
and bitter gourd saute for 5 minutes then add ½ cup of water allow to boil for 5 minutes
Add tamarind extract to the above cook well and raw smell of the tamarind goes.
Add salt as required.

Then add cooked toor dal and the masala paste along with some water.
Bring it to boil. Garnish with curry leaves.

It is very healthy and good accompaniment for rice.

Health benefits

It cointains Vitamin B, Rich in iron and folic acid and good dietary fiber.
It helps in lowering sugar levels of diabetic patients.