Pavakkai Pitlai
- 80 min
- medium
- Serves 4
Pavakkai pitlai, a Tamil Nadu bitter gourd gravy with toor dal, black chickpeas, tamarind and coconut paste. Medium-spicy, serves 4, 80 minutes plus soaking.
You’ll need: Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Toor Dal75 grams
Bitter Gourd400 grams
Dry Red Chilli3 grams
Coconut25 grams
Tamarind25 grams
Water, For Soaking250 ml
Black Chickpeas, Soaked50 grams
Turmeric Powder1 grams
Salt2 tsp
Oil2 tsp
Chana Dal1 tbsp
Urad Dal (split)1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds12 grams
Black Peppercorns1 grams
Mustard Seeds1 tsp
Curry leaves3 grams
Asafoetida0.5 grams
Contains: wheat.
Nutrition
Per 1 person, and for all 4 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per 1 person | All 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 256kcal | 1024kcal |
| Protein | 10g | 40g |
| Carbohydrate | 34g | 136g |
| Fat | 11g | 44g |
| Fibre | 12g | 50g |
| Sugar | 4.5g | 18g |
Method
Drain the soaked black chickpeas and rinse the toor dal. Wash the bitter gourd, halve it, remove the seeds and soft white centre, and slice it thinly. Remove the chilli stalks and grate the coconut. Soak the tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes, squeeze it well, and strain the tamarind water.
Add the rinsed dal, soaked chickpeas, water and turmeric powder to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook on medium flame for 6 whistles until the chickpeas are soft, then let the pressure release naturally. Mash the dal lightly, leaving the chickpeas whole, and keep it aside.
Put the sliced bitter gourd in a kadai with salt and water. Cover and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes until the pieces are tender but still hold their shape.
Heat oil in a small kadai on low flame for 1 minute until hot. Add the chana dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, dry red chillies and peppercorns. Roast for 3 to 4 minutes until the dals are golden and the chillies are crisp.
Add the grated coconut and fry on low flame for 2 minutes until it is lightly golden. Cool the mixture for 5 minutes. Grind it with water to a smooth paste.
Add the tamarind water and ground masala to the cooked bitter gourd. Boil on medium flame for 6 minutes until the raw tamarind smell goes. Add the mashed dal with the chickpeas, salt and water, mix well and simmer on low flame for 6 to 8 minutes until the pitlai is thick and well blended.
Heat oil in a small pan on medium flame for 1 minute until hot. Add the mustard seeds and fry for 30 seconds until they crackle, then add the curry leaves and asafoetida and fry for 30 seconds until the leaves are crisp. Pour the tempering into the pitlai, simmer for 1 minute and switch off.
Before you start
- How long does Pavakkai Pitlai take?
- 1 hour 20 minutes from start to finish. That is 20 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking.
- How many people does Pavakkai Pitlai serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Pavakkai Pitlai vegetarian?
- Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
- Is Pavakkai Pitlai spicy?
- It is medium: 2 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
- What do I need to make Pavakkai Pitlai?
- 75 grams Toor Dal, 400 grams Bitter Gourd, 3 grams Dry Red Chilli, 25 grams Coconut, 25 grams Tamarind, 50 grams Black Chickpeas, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Pavakkai Pitlai?
- No, it is cooked in an open pot.
- How many calories are in Pavakkai Pitlai?
- About 256 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
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