Pavakkai Pitlai Recipe with step by step pictures. Pakarkaai Pitlai or Bitter gourd pitlai recipe is made with bitter gourd, toor dal, spices, tamarind and jaggery.
Pavakkai Pitlai Recipe
Can you believe that this is the first bitter gourd recipe in this blog. I am getting so many request from my viewers to post bitter gourd recipe. So here i am sharing my mom's special recipe. Bitter gourd is one of the vegetable which retain its bitterness even after it is cooked. But this doesn't even have a little bitterness in it. I don't know how it happened, may be it is because of cooking it in a pressure cooker or because of the jaggery and tamarind. But you have to trust me in this. So here you go to the recipe.
How to Make Pavakkai Pitlai
- Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadai. Add in onions and bitter gourd and saute for 5 mins or so till it turn translucent.
- Now take toor dal in a pressure cooker and add the sauted veggies in it. Cover with water and pressure cook it for 3 whistle. Simmer the cooker for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and let the steam go all by itself. Open the pressure cooker and mash the veggies and dal slightly.
- Transfer this entire mixture into a kadai. Add in salt, tamarind pulp, jaggery, chilli pdr, coriander pdr, turmeric pdr and mix well.
- Bring everything to a boil. Simmer the flame and let it cook for 15 mins.
- Now make the seasoning. Heat oil and crackle mustard, urad dal, curry leaves and coconut. Fry it till golden.
- Pour this over the curry and mix well.
- Serve this with rice.
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Table of Contents
📖 Recipe Card
Pavakkai Pitlai Recipe | Bitter gourd pitlai recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large Onion sliced
- 1 large Bitter Gourd cut in half and sliced
- ½ cup Toor Dal
- 1 tsp Oil
- Salt to taste
- 3 tbsp Tamarind Pulp
- 3 tbsp Jaggery or to taste
- 1 tbsp Chilli powder
- 2 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- For Seasoning:
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Urad dal
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 3 tbsp Coconut grated
Instructions
- Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadai. Add in onions and bitter gourd and saute for 5 mins or so till it turn translucent.
- Now take toor dal in a pressure cooker and add the sauted veggies in it. Cover with water and pressure cook it for 3 whistle. Simmer the cooker for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and let the steam go all by itself. Open the pressure cooker and mash the veggies and dal slightly.
- Transfer this entire mixture into a kadai. Add in salt, tamarind pulp, jaggery, chilli pdr, coriander pdr, turmeric pdr and mix well.
- Bring everything to a boil. Simmer the flame and let it cook for 15 mins.
- Now make the seasoning. Heat oil and crackle mustard, urad dal, curry leaves and coconut. Fry it till golden.
- Pour this over the curry and mix well.
- Serve this with rice.
Video

Nutrition
Pavakkai Pitlai Recipe Step by Step Pictures
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Saute onions and bitter gourd in a tsp of oil |
Rumana Ambrin
very tasty and new to me...
Tamilarasi Sasikumar
Looks so good...Love this curry:)
Janani
I never touch or make this veggie urs makes me rethink lovely and flavorful recipe
Hamaree Rasoi
Healthy and comforting bitter gourd dal. Wonderfully prepared.
Deepa
Priya Suresh
Wow, amma's version sounds quick and very delicious than the usual pitlai.
Pretend Chef
Looks delicious!
Anonymous
man,
it's just unfair being in a different landscape. you should be getting helluva deal from PUBLISHERS if the dishes are western or something..
we Indians never BUY any BOOKS (including yours humble myself)..
let me also confess i will never SHARE anything to PUBLIC(because of laziness) like you do. it takes a hell lot of kindness to share it for free..
you dishes are worth a million bucks! you are the best!!
why? it works like a charm
have a long life dear!
Anonymous
Super aarthi....u r doing great job....god bless u and ur family...
Unknown
Good recipe. Something different from the usual varient we make with bitter gourd.. tnx 🙂 Ammu Bhadra
trish kumar
Tried today.....Very nice....Thanq.....
Anonymous
Wow... cud Nt believe tat was bitter gourd... became a fan of tis veggie... tnx a lot for tis recipe aarti...
Vani
Sema... Too awesome. I was surprised its not bitter and tasted so good. Thanks a lot. Savior of my bad cooking.
Sowmya Ashwin
Hi Aarthi,The pictures show that you have not deseeded the pavakkais while cutting..are the seeds edible??Does this recipe require that we need to cook the paavakai with seed or can I deseed it and use??
Aarthi
Can i skip the coconut?
Aarthi
u can. coconut adds toasty flavour