pavakkai pitla

Ingredients:
Pavakkai / bitter gourd - 1 no
Toor dhal - 1 cup
Gram dhal - 1 cup
Urad dhal - 1/2 tbsp
Gram dhal - 1 tbsp
Dhaniya - 1 tsp
Red chilly 2 nos
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Tamarind - a small lemon size
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp

Method:

Pressure cook toor dhal and gram dhal.Cut the bitter gourd into rings and remove the centre portion.Heat a pan and add a little oil.Now fry urad dhal,gram dhal,dhaniya,red chillies and grind along with grated coconut to a fine paste. Take equal cups of  water and tamarind extract,add turmeric and salt to it.When it starts to boil, add the bitter gourd rings and cook till it becomes soft ( this will lessen its bitterness).Now boil the remaining tamarind extract,add the paste,salt,asafoetida,cooked dhals and bittergourd rings.Season with mustard seeds.{You can even add a pinch of  jaggery or sugar to reduce the bitterness.If this kuzhambu is not thick, mix a tsp of rice flour with water and add }