Bitter gourd is an interesting vegetable because there are some who hate it for its bitterness and some like me who love it. When we were kids my mom used to buy the small bitter gourds and fry them and it was one of my favorite dishes. I liked the slight bitterness and the crunchiness of the seeds. Pitlai is a dish which I learnt after my wedding. It is a common dish in my inlaws place and me being a bitter gourd lover had to try it out. Needless to say I fell in love with it immediately. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients
7 small bitter gourds

1/4 cup channa dal

1/2 cup toor dal

1/2 tsp Mustard
Curry leaves
lime size tamarind

Salt

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp urad dal

2 tsp channa dal

asafoetida

6 red chillies

1 tbsp coconutMethod
Cook the dals separately. Fry all the masala ingredients except coconut.

Let it cool and grind to a paste along with coconut.

Collecting all the ingredients together.

Extract the juice from the tamarind. Take half of this juice and boil the bitter gourd pieces in it. This is to remove some of the bitterness. Turn off the stove when the bitter gourd is cooked.

To the remaining half of the juice add the masala paste. Let it boil for few minutes. Then add the cooked dal followed by the cooked bitter gourd. Add salt and turn the stove to simmer for few minutes.

Do a tadka with mustard seeds and curry leaves and add to the pitlai.

Yummy bitter gourd pitlai, okra fry, appalam and pickle .. our meal for today.

Enjoy!

Sending this to Desi Soccer Mom’s Legume Love Affair started by Susan.

Tips
1. Sometimes the seeds in the bitter gourd are too big. In that case use a spoon and scrape it out.