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    Home » Kuzhambu | Kulambu » Pavakkai pitlai | Pakarkaai Pitlai

    Pavakkai pitlai | Pakarkaai Pitlai

    July 3, 2014 By Vidya Srinivasan 33 Comments

    36 shares
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Pavakkai pitlai , paavakkai pitlai, pitlai recipe, pagarkkai pitlai, Sambar, sambhar, Sambar recipe, Sambar with coconut, arachuvitta sambar recipe with step-by-step pictures, and video recipe. Check out the Pavakkai pitlai recipe and if you like the video pls SUBSCRIBE to my channel.  

    Pavakkai Pitlai | Pakarkaai Pitlai (Bitter gourd pitlai)  is a traditional South Indian rice accompaniment prepared with pavakkai, tamarind extract, toor dal, and freshly ground spice paste. The healthy bitter gourd turned into a delicious kuzhambu. I would say pavakkai Pitlai is the cousin of Arachuvitta sambar😂 Pavakkai Pitlai is yet another recipe from my Amma's cookbook. As a child, I always hated Bitter gourd, though it's a healthy vegetable. If I see Bitter gourd in the 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 teaspoon 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 in some tasty South Indian kuzhambu varieties in TMF, Kuzhambu varieties  with tamarind Kuzhambu varieties without tamarind  sambar powder recipe Pavakkai gojju

     

    • Vendhaya Keerai Sambar | Methi Sambar
    • Kalyana gothsu | Pongal gotsu
    • One pot Sambar sadam
    • Milagai Killi potta Sambar

    Other Sambar varieties in TMF

    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 mixture
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Comment
    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 - 1/4 tsp
    • Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
    • Chickpea/Channa - 1/3 cup Soak Channa overnight/ in hot water for 4 hours
    • sambar powder - 1/2 tbsp
    • Curry Leaves - Few
    • Coriander leaves -few
    • Tamarind - small Lemon size
    • Jaggery - 2 tbsp
    • Asofedtida - generous pinch
    • Salt - as needed

    For Grinding:

    • Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup tightly pressed
    • Red Chillies - 2 Adjust according to your spice level
    • Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp
    • Channa dal - 1/2 tbsp

    To temper:

    • Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
    • Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
    • Fenugreek - 1/8 tsp

    Instructions

    • Firstly soak channa dal overnight
    • Soak toor dal for 1 hour in hot water
    • Pressure cook chickpea and toor dal in two cooker separators for 3-4 whistles
    • Parallelly pressure cook bitter gourd with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 2 whistles
    • Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract the pulp
    • Dry roast red chillies, coriander seeds, and channa dal till they turn aromatic and golden brown turn off the stove
    • Add coconut and mix well. Let everything comes to room temperature ground with little water
    • Add oil to the pan, when the oil is hot add mustard seed and fenugreek. let it splutter
    • Squeeze the bitter gourd and save the water aside add the cooked bitter gourd and saute for 3-4 mins or until the bitter gourd turns brown
    • Add tamarind extract, Sambar powder, hing, a pinch of turmeric powder, and salt and allow the kuzhambu to boil for 15 minutes or till the raw smell goes off the tamarind
    • Furthermore, add the ground paste and little mixie water and boil for 5 minutes
    • Add the cooked toor dal and channa, cook for another 5 mins, mix well in between
    • Finally add hing, jaggery, and coriander leaves; cook for 5 minutes, turn off the stove

    Video

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    Notes

    1. Bitter gourd can be cooked in the pan instead of pressure cooking. you can also microwave bitter gourd
    2. Curry powder can be ground 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 the instant pot. Cook toor dal and channa together in manual mode, high temperature for 25 minutes. After the pressure releases 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
    7. Adjust the water according to your desired consistency
    Tried this recipe?Mention @traditionallymodernfood or tag #traditionallymodernfood!

    Ingredients:

    Bitter gourd - 1

    Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

    Toor Dal - 1/2 cup

    Chickpea/Channa - 1/3 cup (Soak Channa overnight/ in hot water for 4 hours)

    sambar powder - 1/2 tbsp

    Curry Leaves - Few

    Coriander leaves -few

    Tamarind - small Lemon size

    Jaggery - 2 tbsp

    Asofedtida - generous pinch

    Salt - as needed

    For Grinding:

    Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup, tightly pressed

    Red Chillies - 2 ( Adjust according to your spice level)

    Coriander Seeds - 1 tbsp

    Channa dal - 1/2 tbsp

    To temper:

    Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp

    Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

    Fenugreek - 1/8 tsp

    How to make pavakkai pitlai with step by step pictures:

    • Firstly soak channa dal overnight 

    • Soak toor dal for 1 hour in hot water

    • Pressure cook chickpea and toor dal in two cooker separators for 3-4 whistles
    • Parallelly  pressure cook bitter gourd with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder  for 2 whistles

    • Soak the tamarind in hot water and extract the pulp
    • Dry roast red chillies, coriander seeds, and channa dal till they turn aromatic and golden brown turn off the stove 

    • Add coconut and mix well. Let everything comes to room temperature ground with little water

    • Add oil to the pan, when the oil is hot add mustard seed and fenugreek. let it splutter

    • Squeeze the bitter gourd and save the water aside add the cooked bitter gourd and saute for 3-4 mins or until the bitter gourd turns brown

    • Add tamarind extract, Sambar powder, hing, a pinch of turmeric powder, and salt and allow the kuzhambu to boil for 15 minutes or till the raw smell goes off the tamarind

    • Furthermore, add the ground paste and little mixie water and boil for 5 minutes

    • Add the cooked toor dal and channa, cook for another 5 mins, and mix well in between

    • Finally add hing, jaggery, and coriander leaves; cook for 5 minutes, and turn off the stove

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. food passion and love

      July 03, 2014 at 6:44 pm

      Looks delicious!I didnt know such a dish could be made outa bitter gourd!!

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 03, 2014 at 8:41 pm

        Thanks Shannu:) try them sometime

        Reply
        • food passion and love

          July 04, 2014 at 3:27 am

          Yes I will!

          Reply
    2. apuginthekitchen

      July 03, 2014 at 7:11 pm

      've never had bitter gourd but I do love bitter greens like rappini, mustard greens etc.. I bet I would like it. Amazing what a tsp of jaggery does, guess it's like that song from about the spoonful of sugar helping the medicine go down.

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 03, 2014 at 8:41 pm

        Try them Suzanne, if you like bitterness I am sure you will like bitter gourd. Jaggery is palm sugar, you can use brown sugar instead

        Reply
    3. Ami@NaiveCookCooks

      July 03, 2014 at 10:04 pm

      I love eating bitter gourd but never had it this way!! Going to try it soon!

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 03, 2014 at 10:12 pm

        Do try Ami, if you like bitter gourd I sure you wil enjoy this recipe

        Reply
    4. Blake Devereaux

      July 03, 2014 at 11:31 pm

      Interesting recipe

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 14, 2014 at 11:44 pm

        Thanku:)

        Reply
    5. Jeanne Melanson

      July 03, 2014 at 11:32 pm

      Oh my, I’ve never even heard of bitter gourd. I didn’t know you could eat gourds! If I could find all of these ingredients, I would try this, but I’ll never find them in the rural area that I live in. Too bad. Thank you for sharing, though. I will add this to my Pinterest “Indian Food” board. Peace!

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 03, 2014 at 11:33 pm

        Thanks for your lovely comment Jeanne:)

        Reply
    6. Lori

      July 03, 2014 at 11:43 pm

      You always remind me that there is a world of food out there that I know nothing about! Love it!

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 03, 2014 at 11:52 pm

        Thanks for the lovely comment dear Lori:) I am learning a lot from you

        Reply
        • Lori

          July 03, 2014 at 11:54 pm

          Awe, thank you Vidya!!

          Reply
          • Traditionally Modern Food

            July 03, 2014 at 11:57 pm

            🙂

            Reply
    7. philosophoenix

      July 03, 2014 at 11:58 pm

      Thank you for including this wonderful recipe. Just the pictures would have been fabulous, but now I can make it for myself.

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 04, 2014 at 7:39 am

        Thanks for your lovely comment:)

        Reply
    8. lapetitepaniere

      July 04, 2014 at 3:01 am

      Lovely dish Vidya 🙂

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 04, 2014 at 7:30 am

        Thanks Linda:)

        Reply
    9. Chitra Jagadish

      July 04, 2014 at 8:47 am

      I love to learn differnt varieties using bittergourd as its healthy and this one looks perfect. wil try asap and let you know...this is must try for me...

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 04, 2014 at 10:32 am

        Happy to know that you liked it:) Do try and let me know

        Reply
    10. Corina

      July 04, 2014 at 8:48 am

      I've never tried bitter gourd but I love the tamarind in this dish and it sounds really tasty.

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 04, 2014 at 10:31 am

        Thanks Corina:) ya tamrind gives nice flavor to the dish

        Reply
    11. Loretta

      July 04, 2014 at 2:21 pm

      This looks wonderful, I can actually taste all the different flavors just reading through the ingredients. Love jaggrey 🙂

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 04, 2014 at 2:30 pm

        Thanks Loretta:) jaggery is my favorite too

        Reply
    12. Fabgrandma

      July 04, 2014 at 4:09 pm

      I am not familiar with Bitter Gourd, so I have no idea what this would taste like.

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 04, 2014 at 11:25 pm

        It tastes delicious:) can't feel the bitterness in taste

        Reply
    13. swathiiyer

      July 04, 2014 at 11:00 pm

      Delicious I too love pavakkai pitala, very nice

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 04, 2014 at 11:24 pm

        Thanks Swathi:) happy to know that you too like pitalai

        Reply
    14. Chitra Jagadish

      July 19, 2014 at 4:53 pm

      Vidya prepared this for lunch today oh my it was delicious...thanx a ton for this wonderful recipe vidya. ...

      Reply
      • Traditionally Modern Food

        July 20, 2014 at 1:48 pm

        Very happy to hear Chitra:)thanks for trying

        Reply
        • Chitra Jagadish

          July 20, 2014 at 3:55 pm

          Reply

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