Pavakka Puli curry l Bitter gourd in Tamarind Gravy

Ingredients

Bitter gourd / Pavakka – 2 medium

Rice flour – 2 tbsp

Salt – as needed

Oil for frying

Kashmiri chili powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Asafoetida – ¼ teaspoon

Tamarind – a lemon sized ball

Jaggery – Optional

FOR TEMPERING

Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

Urad dal – 1 teaspoon

Dry red chili, broken – 3

Curry leaves – as needed

Instruction

Wash and chop bitter gourd into 1 inch piece. Marinate bitter gourd pieces with rice flour and salt.

Soak tamarind in ½ cup of water. Squeeze the tamarind extract and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Fry marinated bitter gourd without crowding the pan. Set this aside.

Now add 2 cups of water to already squeezed tamarind extract. Add Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder, and asafoteida. Switch on the stove. Allow it to boil.

When it starts boiling, add fried bitter gourd to this. Allow it to boil. Add jaggery if you like it as it imparts a nice flavor.

Those who like sweet and sour taste particularly likes the addition of jaggery. If you are not fond of sweetness, then you can fully omit this.

Switch off the stove and proceed with tempering.

Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal, red chili, and curry leaves.

Now pour this on to the curry. Bitter gourd in tamarind gravy is ready.