Pavakka Pitla / Pitlah / Pitlai / Parikka Pitlah / South Indian style Bittergourd Curry in a tamarind-lentil base
Pavakka pitla is a kind of sambar made using bittergourd and peanuts in a fresh ground masala with coconut base. The spices, coconut and tamarind mask the bitterness to a great extent while adding layers of flavour to the dish. The soft cooked peanuts will make this dish endearing to anyone who doesn’t like karela. The same can be made with brinjal pieces instead of bittergourd.
As a kid, I was allowed to pick out the bittergourd slices and eat the peanuts in the sambar alone.
I’ve been growing this variety of baby bitter gourd in my kitchen garden. These are not more than 2 inches long if plucked on time, before they turn mature. I’m often asked how to reduce the bitterness in bitter gourd, ironic as it may sound 🙂
Marinating the sliced bitter gourd in salt for 1-2 hours, rinsing and then using it, reduces the bitterness considerably. Also, soaking the slices in sour buttermilk overnight removes almost all traces of bitterness.
The difference between a pavakka sambar and pitla is the addition of groundnuts and a freshly ground paste using coconut.
Pavakkai Pitla ( Bitter ground in spicy tamarind lentil gravy)
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 4
Pavakka Pitla - Bittergourd Pitlah
Ingredients
Method
- Preparing spice paste: Roast the spices in 1/4 tsp oil on medium flame until the dal turns golden. Saute the coconut until it is aromatic and light golden in colour. Once cooled, grind the roasted spices, dal and coconut to a fine paste using 1/2 cup water.
- Preparing bitter gourds: Wash and top and tail the bitter gourds. Slice them thinly. If you want, slice lengthwise, scoop out seeds and then slice thinly.
- Cooking lentils, gourd and peanuts: Place the washed our dal in one of the pressure cooker containers with 2 cups water. Place the sliced gourd and peanuts in another container with xbd cup water. You can place the containers one above the other in the pressure cooker, lentils at the bottom and gourd-peanuts on the top, pressure cook for 2 whistles and then on a low flame for 10 minutes OR
- If there is no pressure cooker, cook soaked yellow lentils by boiling in 3 cups water, until soft u2013 approximately 30 minutes. Cook gourd slices and peanuts with xbd cup water, until both are soft u2013 approximately 15 minutes. Keep them aside.
- Preparing tamarind extract: Squeeze tamarind well in soaked water, to obtain two cups of tamarind extract. Drain the extract, keep aside.
- Assembling the pita: Bring the tamarind extract to a simmer in a kadai / wok. Add the ground spice paste to the simmering tamarind extract along with mashed lentils and bittergourd-peanut mix.
- Stir well and bring to a boil.
- For tempering: heat 1 tsp cooking oil, add xbd tsp mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add a sprig of curry leaves and slide the tempering over the pitla. Place a cover on the pitla pan until it is time to serve.
- Serve hot with steaming rice and a dry curry along with some vadams or papad. A good match for pavakka pitla and rice is carrot curry (dry vegetable) / sweet potato curry or any other mildly sweet tasting vegetable to complement the bitter taste of bitter gourd.
Notes
YAY!!! I came back from vacation and was confused who was hosting what and then I came to remind you!!;DThanks.After T’s Spice it up,some more chillies for me.Hey,I have grown some hot Banana peppers/chillies in my garden.Hope that’s okay too since they are chillies as well but yellow in color!
good choice, n.
Dear Nandita,So sorry to hear about the net problems. I can sense how much pressure you must be under without the net. Please do not worry about a thing about JFI. And please organize the event according to your convenience. If you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Happy hosting. I love your chilli choice for JFI!- Indira
HiNot related to your post but I tried the vegetable parathas link from the index and I think the link is broken.Just thought I’d let you know.SS
Dear Nandita,Hope that your phone and internet connections are restored soon…..great ingredient btw and yummy recipe too!take care,musical.
I love Chilli!!!! see my blog.
I miss the Mumbai rains:)). Hope things get back to normal for you.Great choice for JFI!
Thats a hot choice for the JFI event Nandita, couldn’t expect anything less from you 😉
Hey I was wondering what happened to you.. Hope the connections are restored soon…. Great choice for JFI..
Couldn’t have picked a better one.
hope your connection is up! i know how bad it is dear. BTW great choice for JFI with the pouring rains and hot and scpiy to add on 🙂
I hope your connections are soon back up. Great choice for this month’s event. Can it be any variety of chilie?
Great Choice Nandita!
hi Nandita…good choice…I was going thr your tambramhim recipes..excellent ones you have…thanks..will be a nice bookmark…Srivalliwww.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com
Dear nandita,Good choice ..sure will post you some chilli recipe ..CheersMalawww.nalapaka.blogspot.com
In a few words I would say…Excellent choice!!My blog name shouts it all..!!!:)..Count me in Nanditha..
Hi friends,Due to heavy rains and disrupted communications in Mumbai, Nandita doesn’t have internet access at this time. Hence she requested me to respond to any questions related JFI: Chillies Event.Hi Asha and Alice: Thanks for your interest in this event. Yes. Entrees with Banana peppers and chilli varieties – Indian like Guntur mirchi, Kashmir mirchi, Dhani mirchi etc and also western type- poblano, pimento, Habanero, Jamaican Hot etc listed here in this chilli link ) are all welcome in JFI:Chillies.
I mean Cynthia, not Alice.Sorry for getting your name wrong Cynthia! (Never post a comment in a hurry.:))
Hey di,just came to ur blog to say hi…going good in trivandrum…will mail you..
hey there…iam new here.. iam anamateur cook n love cooking (not a verygreat cook though) i wud like to participate in these fest or competiton… please temme how can i??do i need to start my own blog?
Hi Laxmi,Thanks for your interest in JFI:Chilli event. To participate: Please follow the guidelines and post an article or recipe of chilli at your blog, if you have one. Or email to Nandita. Hope this helps.- Indira
love the recipes here though I don’t like all the vegetables on display 🙂 And I miss my vengaaya sambar very badly…don’t get vengaayam here 🙁
Love the recipe here, im gonna surely try it sometime this week if i am not that busy, maybe visit my blog if ya get time Self Improvement
Hi Nandita,I sent in my contribution, hope you got my e-mail 🙂 if not, this is for you http://www.burntmouth.com/2007/08/beer-battered-aachar-stuffed-chili.htmlI love chilies, so I cannot wait to try all the recipes displayed in the round up 🙂
I love Pahakkai Pitlai. This is a good recipe. (Marriedtoadesi.com Kanchana’s dad!)
I like this Pahakkai Pitlai recipe. these pitlai recipe are sure to taste great and are extremely nutritious as well. I am going to make a batch for the holidays when my kids will be at home. I’ll be sure that what they are eating is healthy.