Bitter Gourds in Rich Tamarind Gravy.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourds medium size 6-8 sliced
Cricket ball size tamarind or 1 spoon of thick tamarind paste
Red onion 1 large finely chopped
Garlic 1 large peeled and semi crushed
Tomato 1 large chopped
Jaggery or brown sugar 1 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Rice powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-5
Curry leaves few.

Method:

In a deep pan heat few spoons of oil. Add garlic, fry till its raw smell goes off. Further add onions, fry till they turn to golden brown color. Now add tomatoes, fry them till they loose their water content.

Now add salt, turmeric, chili powder, sugar and rice powder. Blend them together.

Add the sliced bitter gourds now. Fry them for a while. Maybe till they are kind of fried a little.

Then add tamarind milk/puree. Cover and cook over medium flame.

Once the vegetable is done, gravy thickens and oil shows up on, remove from heat.

Run the sesonning on the top. (In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, fenugreek, chenna dal, urad dal, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Let them pop and splutter well.) Run this seasoning over the gravy.

Serve this along with plain steamed rice. Run a spoon full of ghee over it…..just before serving.