Pavakkai Pitla

Pavakkai, known as bittergourd in English and Karela in Hindi, is loaded with nutrients. It has many vital vitamins and minerals and helps fighting diabetes and cholesterol. Also it has blood purifying properties and helps in strengthening our immune system. So its good to include bittergourd in our diet in the form of juice, stir-fry or this pitla.

Pavakkai pitla / parikka pitla is a traditional Palakkad specialty recipe. Pavakkai / bittergourd is cooked with tamarind, dal, coconut and ground spices. Bittergourd is not a preferred vegetable by many because of its bitter taste. But in this curry, the bitterness is balanced with the jaggery, chillies and tamarind. Since you will not feel much bitterness in the gravy, this pitla recipe is an excellent way to incorporate bittergourd in our meal. Serve hot with rice and kootu or any thoran/poriyal.

Pavakkai Pitla

Bittergourd cooked in a tamarind gravy with jaggery, coconut, red chillies and other ground spices
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Pavakkai / Bittergourd – 1 medium sized
  • Tamarind – 1 lemon size
  • Toor dal / Pigeon peas – 1/2 cup
  • Jaggery – 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Oil – 2 tsp
  • Salt – to taste

To roast and grind

  • Oil – 1 tsp
  • Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
  • Chana dal / Kadalai parippu – 1 tsp
  • Split urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Dried red chillies – 5 to 6
  • Black peppercorn – 6
  • Asafoetida / Hing – 1/8 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 4
  • Coconut – 1/2 cup

To temper

  • Oil – 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Dried red chillies – 1
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Asafoetida / Hing – a pinch

Instructions

  • In a small pan, heat 1 tsp oil and add asafoetida, coriander seeds, chana dal, peppercorn, red chilies, curry leaves and fry till the chana dal turns golden.
  • To this add coconut and fry for a minute. Remove from heat, cool and grind to a smooth paste adding little water. Set aside.
  • Soak tamarind in 1 1/2 cup hot water and extract the pulp.
  • Pressure cook the toor dal in 1 cup water with a pinch of turmeric powder. Mash the dal well and set aside.
  • Cut the bittergourd half in lengthwise and scrap off the seeds and white part from the middle. Now cut them into small pieces.
  • Heat 2 tsp oil and add the bittergourd pieces. Fry them in medium flame for around 5-6 minutes.
  • Now add tamarind water, jaggery, turmeric powder and salt. Boil until the raw smell of tamarind goes and bittergourd is cooked.
  • Now add the ground paste and bring to boil. Once it starts to boil add the mashed dal, salt and mix well. Add little water if needed to bring to a medium thick consistency.
  • Allow this to boil for 3-4 minutes and remove from heat.
  • In a tadka pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it pops, add red chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and pour over the curry.

Notes

  • The consistency of pitla should be thicker than sambar.
  • You can add 1 tsp more jaggery if you feel the curry is very bitter.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Side Dish for Rice

Did you make this recipe?

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Join the Conversation

  1. looking for this recipe for a long time… tnx for sharing…

  2. So rich curry, it will very yummy with hot rice..

  3. This is one of my favorites…Prefer this to the sambar

  4. hv never tasted or tried it.. i shd coz my hubby coz of me misses pavakkai..

  5. with gravy karela looks delicious.

  6. love the pitlai dear

  7. i just luv this curry with vathal..

  8. Lipsmacking here, love this curry with a bowl of rice..

  9. Bitter guard for me is always a fry…never tried in gravy…very new and sounds delicious…will try soon

  10. Healthy delicious bitter gourd gravy..

  11. Thatz a great curry option for rice

  12. my fav.. looks so flavourful

  13. This curry looks awesome! 🙂

  14. very yummy and tempting looking curry 🙂

  15. delicious curry, love it…

  16. Different pitla………Looks yum……..

    x❤x❤
    http://indianveggiesbhojan.blogspot.in/

  17. Tempting and flavorful,clicks are beautiful.

  18. i never knew pavakka other than stir frying…this is a fab curry am sure gonna try sometime to pair with steamed rice

  19. I can see how the bitter taste from the gourd have vanished. All of the other ingredients did the job. We eat loads of gourd and like you said, it's the natural remedy for my other half's diabetic. Nice and splattering flavors.

  20. Healthy and delicious curry. I'm sure with so many spices and jaggery would not have felt the bitter taste.

  21. Delicious pitlai, love this when compared to sambar.

  22. I am a fan of this, infact I like pavakkai only in this 🙂

  23. love pavakkai in any form..perfect with hot rice

  24. Lovely recipe using bittergourd.. Will try it soon Sona 🙂

  25. ou,Healthy and nice recipe….following you would appreciate if you can follow me back and like my page on FB
    http://kiransaboo.blogspot.in/

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