Pagarkai/bitter gourd pitlai is a very common South Indian kuzhambu, and is often made in all households for good and religious functions.
Bitter gourds thrive in hot and humid climates and hence is found in Asian countries, and I think, westerners may not be used to its bitter taste.
Bitter gourds are very low in calories but very rich and dense with nutrients. They are an excellent source of many Vitamins, Iron, twice the Calcium of Spinach and twice the Potassium of banana.
Bitter gourds treat blood disorders, kill cancer cells, lower sugar levels, boost energy levels, alleviate eye problems, clean up toxic blood and bitter gourd juice can treat gouts, treat piles, psoriasis, respiratory disorders....and on and on....
Some people call this Parikkai and my m-i-l was one of them!
Ingredients
Bitter gourds - 4-5, chopped in roundels
Tur dhal - 3/4 cup, pressure cooked
Peanuts - 1/4 cup, soaked over night and pressure cooked
Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Jaggery - 2 tsps
Salt to taste
To roast in 1/2 tsp oil and grind
Solid hing - 1 piece
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsps
Channa dhal - 1 1/2 tbsps
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Pepper - 3/4 tsp
Red chillies - 5
Grated coconut - 3 tbsps
To season
Gingely or cooking oil - 2 tsps
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a handful
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian; Category: Lunch/dinner
Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 25 mts
Serves 3-4
Except coconut, all the above mentioned ingredients are roasted to golden color
In that same oil, coconut is roasted nicely
Both the above things let to cool down, then ground into a fine paste
Tur dhal pressure cooked with some turmeric powder
Bitter gourd rounds and peanuts are also pressure cooked. It takes a very long time for the bitter gourds to cook in tamarind water. It is easy and faster this way. Also, I do not take out the bitter juice of the bitter gourds.
Take a pan, fill with 3 cups water, add 1 tbsp tamarind paste, jaggery and turmeric powder, then the pressure cooked bitter gourds and peanuts, and allow to boil in slow fire.
Add salt to taste , so that the bitter gourds and peanuts will take in salt.
Tamarind water reduced to half
Now add the ground paste
and the cooked tur dhal, taking care to keep the flames on the lowest. Otherwise, it might get stuck at the bottom and a burnt taste will come.
Top with some curry leaves, season the above mentioned ingredients and pour that oil on top of the curry leaves.
Serve this tasty pitlai with any vegetable and rice of your choice.
This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com
Notes
* You can replace peanuts with channa too.
* You can make this pitlai powder, store in refrigerator and it will be so handy.
Categories: No Onion-no garlic, South Indian Kuzhambus
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