Karela and Lobia Pitlai

Pitlai is a type of kootu or sambhar. Though Karela or bitter gourd is bitter, you will not taste the bitterness in this gravy dish. This can be had with hot steamed rice like sambhar rice or had as a gravy for rotis. Extremely tasty!

Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Pigeon eyed beans

• 3/4 cup Bitter Gourd, cut into small cubes

• Salt to taste + to soak the bitter gourd

• 1 lemon sized Tamarind, soaked in hot water

• 1 tsp Jaggery

• 1 tsp Turmeric powder

Grind to a paste

• 1 tsp Ghee

• 1 tsp Methi seeds

• 2 tbsp Coriander seeds

• 2 tbsp Chana dal

• 1 tsp Hing

• 5 tbsp Fresh grated coconut

For tempering

• 1 tbsp Coconut oil

• 1 tsp Mustard seeds

• 5-7 Curry leaves

Instructions

1. Soak pigeon eyed beans in water for an hour

2. Sprinkle salt on the bitter gourd and keep aside for half an hour. This helps the bitterness to reduce considerably. Then, wash the bitter gourd well.

3. Roast the spice paste ingredients without the coconut. Once it becomes light brown, add the coconut, switch off the gas and make a paste out of this.

4. Pressure cook the tur dal and mash it

5. Pressure cook the pigeon eyed beans for 1 whistle

6. In a wide pan, add the tamarind pulp, salt, turmeric powder and the karela veggie

7. When it is cooked and the raw smell of the tamarind goes away, add the lobia, jaggery and boil for 5 more minutes

8. Add the ground paste and mix well

9. Add the cooked dal, mix well and switch off the flame

10. In a pan take coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves and temper the gravy

11. Serve hot with rotis. This is best had with hot steamed rice topped with ghee and papad.