Paarikyaai Poolikootakari (bitter Gourd Side Dish)

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon urad dal (split skinned black gram)
• 250 g bitter melons, remove seeds and cut into rings (karela)
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• salt
• 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp, soaked in 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sambhar powder or 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon jaggery or 1 teaspoon palm sugar or 1 teaspoon raw sugar (i suppose you could try this with regular sugar as well)

Recipe

• 1 head oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add mustard seeds and urad dal.
• 2 when the mustard starts to sputter, add the sliced gourd, turmeric powder and salt and saute on a low flame for about 10 minutes.
• 3 add the water that the tamarind was soaked in, sambar powder (or curry powder) and jaggery.
• 4 cover and cook on a low flame for about 10 minutes; then check if the karela has been cooked; if not, add an additional 1/4 cup water, cover and cook until all the water has been absorbed.
• 5 remove from flame and serve hot with rice and sambar, or chappatis.