Tamil Nadu

Pavakkai pitlai

Name: Pavakkai pitlai
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tamil Brahmin
Ingredients: 2 medium sliced bitter gourd (bitter melon); 1/3 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas); 3 tbsp soaked chana dal (split chickpeas); a lemon sized ball tamarind; Water, about 3 cups; 1 tbsp jaggery; 1/4 tsp turmeric (ground turmeric); 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut; 2 tsp coriander seeds; 4 dried red chilli; 1 tsp urad dal (split black gram); 1 tbsp coconut oil; 1/2 tsp mustard seeds; 2 sprigs curry leaves; a pinch asafoetida; Salt, to taste

Bitter gourd and chana dal in a tamarind and roasted coconut gravy. Bitter, sweet, sour: all at once.

50 minTime

8 gProtein each

mediumSpice

1hPlan ahead. Soak for 1 hour first; the 50 minutes come after.

The bitter gourd peace treaty2 chapters · 1 min read

Make it your way

Grandma's wayBitter gourd, two dals, roasted coconut.

The original

236kcalsame

8 gproteinsame

9 gfibresame

50minutessame

Pavakkai pitlai, Tamil Brahmin classic.

Per serving, worked out from the ingredient table.

Ingredients

Bitter gourd (bitter melon)2 medium, sliced

Toor dal (split pigeon peas)⅓ cup

Chana dal (split chickpeas)3 tbsp, soaked

Tamarinda lemon sized ball

Waterabout 3 cups

Jaggery1 tbsp

Turmeric (ground turmeric)¼ tsp

Fresh grated coconut½ cup

Coriander seeds2 tsp

Dried red chilli4

Urad dal (split black gram)1 tsp

Coconut oil1 tbsp

Mustard seeds½ tsp

Curry leaves2 sprigs

Asafoetidaa pinch

Saltto taste

Method

5 steps

1Pressure cook toor dal and soaked chana dal separately in one cooker with turmeric for 3 whistles. Keep chana dal whole.
2Simmer bitter gourd in tamarind extract with salt and jaggery until tender.
3Roast coriander seeds, urad dal, red chillies and coconut in a few drops of oil until golden. Grind to a paste.
4Add both dals and the paste to the gourd, simmer 5 minutes to a thick gravy.
5Temper mustard, curry leaves and asafoetida in coconut oil and pour over.

Serve it like this

Serve hot in a deep bowl with a swirl of ghee or a few coriander leaves on top, and rice or rotis on the side.

Bloom picks tonight's dinner for your diet and allergies, then cooks it with you step by step.

Tamil Nadu

Pavakkai pitlai

Bitter gourd and chana dal in a tamarind and roasted coconut gravy. Bitter, sweet, sour: all at once.

50 minTime

8 gProtein each

mediumSpice

1hPlan ahead. Soak for 1 hour first; the 50 minutes come after.

The bitter gourd peace treaty2 chapters · 1 min read

Make it your way

Grandma's wayBitter gourd, two dals, roasted coconut.

The original

236kcalsame

8 gproteinsame

9 gfibresame

50minutessame

Pavakkai pitlai, Tamil Brahmin classic.

Per serving, worked out from the ingredient table.

Ingredients

Bitter gourd (bitter melon)2 medium, sliced

Toor dal (split pigeon peas)⅓ cup

Chana dal (split chickpeas)3 tbsp, soaked

Tamarinda lemon sized ball

Waterabout 3 cups

Jaggery1 tbsp

Turmeric (ground turmeric)¼ tsp

Fresh grated coconut½ cup

Coriander seeds2 tsp

Dried red chilli4

Urad dal (split black gram)1 tsp

Coconut oil1 tbsp

Mustard seeds½ tsp

Curry leaves2 sprigs

Asafoetidaa pinch

Saltto taste

Method

5 steps

1Pressure cook toor dal and soaked chana dal separately in one cooker with turmeric for 3 whistles. Keep chana dal whole.
2Simmer bitter gourd in tamarind extract with salt and jaggery until tender.
3Roast coriander seeds, urad dal, red chillies and coconut in a few drops of oil until golden. Grind to a paste.
4Add both dals and the paste to the gourd, simmer 5 minutes to a thick gravy.
5Temper mustard, curry leaves and asafoetida in coconut oil and pour over.

Serve it like this

Serve hot in a deep bowl with a swirl of ghee or a few coriander leaves on top, and rice or rotis on the side.

Bloom picks tonight's dinner for your diet and allergies, then cooks it with you step by step.

Pavakkai pitlai

Make it your way

Ingredients

Method

Pavakkai pitlai

Make it your way

Ingredients

Method

Make it a meal