Chettinad Pagarkai puzhi kuzhambu/Bitter gourd cooked in tamarind-chettinad style

A dish that me and my husband would eat everyday too. The taste of all the ingredients is just magical.

A dish that me and my husband would eat everyday too. The taste of all the ingredients is just magical.

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Ingredients

2-4 servings

2-4bitter gourd, remove the seeds and the edges and cut to thin rings
15small sambar onions-
10garlic pods -
1 sprigcurry leaves
1 tbsp or to tasteThick tamarind extract- soak a lemon size tamarind or even more (depends on the quality of the tamarind)
- 2 tbspRed chilli powder
as needed Gingerly oil
to tastesalt
1 pinchturmeric
1/2 spooncoarse coriander powder
1 teaspooncrushed fennel seeds with 1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds

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1

Add the bitter gourd rings to boiling water (salt added) for sometime and strain the rings. They should not loose their colour or get so soft.
2

Heat gingelley oil in a thick bottom pan and add the onions, curry leaves and garlic pods.
3

After a while (please ensure no browning occurs), add the bitter gourd rings, salt (little) and turmeric powder. Mix well and leave it for sometime.
4

Once you notice brown shades and great flavours oozing around add the thick tamarind paste and mix well.
5

After sometime, add some more water to ensure a reasonable consistency. To this add the coarse ground coriander and the fennel-fenugreek powder.
6

Mix well and allow to cook for sometime. The curry should cook until one sees the oil oozing from the corners. Until, this time do add water now and then and keep stirring.
7

This kuzhambu (especially with the coarsely ground coriander in it) is a superb side dish for hot rice, hot idli and also with roti!