Pakarkaai Pitlai | Pavakkai (Bitter Gourd) Pitlai

Pakarkaai Pitlai (Bitter gourd pitlai)  is traditional South Indian rice accompaniment prepared with pavakkai, tamaring extract, toor dal and freshly ground spice paste. Healthy bitter gourd turned into a delicious kuzhambu. I would say pavakkai Pitlai is cousin of Arachuvitta sambar😂

Pavakkai Pitlai is yet another recipe from my Amma’s cook book. As a child, I always hated Bitter gourd, though its a healthy vegetable. If I see Bitter gourd in fridge, I go crazy, even without tasting it. I will say a big no. I always want some other dish when bitter gourd is cooked at home. Rasavangi is yet another tasty rice accompaniment 

One day I was with Amma in the kitchen when she was preparing pavakkai pitlai. I saw her adding a tsp of jaggery to the dish. I was so happy seeing jaggery, and tasted it that day. After tasting the dish, I liked it, and surprisingly didn’t feel the bitterness. From that day onwards I started eating Pitali. Later when I started cooking, I realized even without Jaggery pavakkai Pitalai tastes good. But i started liking the dish because of jaggery, so I add it even now 🙂 Pavakkai Gojju is yet another tasty recipe with pavakkai

If you are interested for some tasty South Indian kuzhambu varieties in TMF,

Kuzhambu varieties  with tamarind

Kuzhambu varieties without tamarind 

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd – 1
Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
Toor Dal – 1/2 cup
Chickpea/Channa – 1/3 cup (Soak Channa overnight/ in hot water for 4 hours)
Sambar Powder – 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves – Few
Tamarind – small Lemon size
Jaggery – 2 tbsp
Asofedtida – generous pinch
Salt – as needed
For Grinding:
Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup
Red Chillies – 2 ( Adjust according to your spice level)
Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp
Channa dal – 1/2 tbsp
For Seasoning:
Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek – 1/8 tsp

Method:

• Soak channa dal overnight or 5-6 hours in hot water
• Soak toor dal for 1 hour in hot water
• Soak the tamarind in warm water for 10  -15 minutes  and extract the pulp. Pressure cook the toor dal and channa, and keep it aside. (To save time I generally cook both together)
• Dry roast red chillies, coriander seeds and channa dal till they turn golden brown color, and switch off. After it comes to room temperature add coconut and grind everything to a fine paste by adding water and keep it aside

• Add turmeric powder and small pieces of tamarind (Adding both removes the bitterness) to bitter gourd and cook it (I microwaved for 5 minutes). After it comes to room temperature squeeze it well and rinse twice

• Add oil to the pan, when the Oil is hot add mustard seed and fenugreek. let it splutter. Add the cooked bitter gourd and saute for 3-4 mins. Add tamarind extract, Sambar powder, hing, turmeric powder and salt and allow it to boil for 10- 12 minutes till the raw smell goes off tamarind

• Add the cooked toor dal and channa, cook for another 10 – 12 mins till you get the aroma. Add grounded paste and jaggery; cook for 7-8 minutes. switch off garnish with coriander leaves

Pakarkaai Pitlai | Pavakkai (Bitter Gourd) Pitlai

Pakarkaai Pitlai (Bitter gourd pitlai) is traditional South Indian rice accompaniment prepared with pavakkai, tamaring extract, toor dal and freshly ground spice paste. Healthy bitter gourd turned into a delicious kuzhambu. I would say pavakkai Pitlai is cousin of Arachuvitta sambar<img draggable="false" data-mce-resize="false" data-mce-placeholder="1" data-wp-emoji="1" class="emoji" alt="😂" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/72x72/1f602.png">

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Kuzhambu

Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Vidya Srinivasan

Ingredients

• Bitter gourd - 1
• Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
• Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
• Chickpea/Channa - 1/3 cup Soak Channa overnight/ in hot water for 4 hours
• Sambar Powder - 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - Few
• Tamarind - small Lemon size
• Jaggery - 2 tbsp
• Asofedtida - generous pinch
• Salt - as needed
• For Grinding:
• Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Red Chillies - 2 Adjust according to your spice level
• Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp
• Channa dal - 1/2 tbsp
• For Seasoning:
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Fenugreek - 1/8 tsp

Instructions

• Soak channa dal overnight or 5-6 hours in hot water
• Soak toor dal for 1 hour in hot water
• Soakthe tamarind in warm water for 10 -15 minutes and extract the pulp. Pressure cook the toor dal and channa, and keep it aside. (To save time I generally cook both together)
• Dry roast red chillies, coriander seeds and channa dal till they turn golden brown color, and switch off. After it comes to room temperature, add coconut and grind everything to a paste by adding water and keep it aside
• Add turmeric powder and small pieces of tamarind (Adding both removes the bitterness) to bitter gourd and cook it (I microwaved for 5 minutes). After it comes to room temperature squeeze it well and rinse twice
• Add oil to the pan, when the Oil is hot add mustard seed and fenugreek. let it splutter. Add the cooked bitter gourd and saute for 3-4 mins. Add tamarind extract, Sambar powder, hing, turmeric powder and salt and allow it to boil for 10 - 12 minutes till the raw smell goes off tamarind
• Add the cooked toor dal and channa, cook for another 10 - 12 mins till you get the aroma. Add grounded paste and jaggery; cook for 7-8 minutes. switch off garnish with coriander leaves

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Notes

1. Bitter gourd can be cooked in the pitalai pan instead of microwaving separately
2. Curry powder can be grind with coconut and made into a paste instead of making fresh paste for pitalai
3. Channa and toor dal can also be cooked together
4. Recently I started cooking this in instant pot. Cook toor dal and channa together in manual mode, high temperature for 25 minutes. After the pressure relases naturally follow all other steps in sauté mode
5.  Adjust the chickpea according to your taste
6. Kala channa can be used instead of chickpea

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