Ingredients:

• 250 g – Bitter gourd
• 1 cup – grated Coconut
• 6 – dry Red Chillies
• Lime sized lump – Tamarind
• 3 – Green chillies
• 4 tsp – sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp – Fenugreek
• 2 tsp – black gram (urad) dal
• 2 tsp – oil
• 1/2 tsp – Asafoetida powder
• 3 tbsp – Jaggery or to taste
• Salt to taste
• For Seasoning:
• 1 tsp – mustard
• A few Curry leaves
• 2 tsp – oil

Method:

1. Slit the bitter gourds and discard the seeds. Chop the gourds finely. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt and leave aside for 15-20 minutes.
2. Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water and extract the juice.
3. Heat a kadai and roast sesame seeds, fenugreek and black gram dal. Transfer them to a plate.
4. Heat 2 tsp of oil in the same kadai and roast red chillies.
5. Add coconut and roast till it turns light brown.
6. Sprinkle asafoetida on top. Mix well and transfer to the plate.
7. Grind all these ingredients with green chillies into a fine paste.
8. Squeeze out the bitter gourds and place in a pan.
9. Add about 1 cup of water and boil.
10. When they are half cooked, add the tamarind extract.
11. Simmer till the bitter gourds are cooked.
12. Add the ground paste, salt and jaggery.
13. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and remove from fire.
14. Heat the oil for seasoning in a small frying pan. Add mustard.
15. When it splutters, add curry leaves.
16. Add the seasoning to the curry.
17. Serve with steamed rice and dal.