Pavakka Puli Inji
A striking feature of this dish is that it in fact blends or assimilates all the taste flavours in it like bitterness thru pavakka, sweetness thru jaggery and the spiciness thru green chilliesaall the three in the tangy sauce of tamarind.
Ingredientsfor 4 servings
- 1 nos Pavakka medium sized, Bittergourd
- 6 nos Green chillies medium sized
- Tamarind A lemon sized ball (Puli)
- Jaggery A medium sized ball (Sharkkara)
- Turmeric powder A pinch
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp Coconut oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 3 nos Dry red chillies broken
- Curry leaves A, a few
Preparation
Step 1
Wash the pavakka well and deseed it.
Step 2
Cut it into thin slices of around 1 cm length.
Step 3
Soak the tamarind in warm water.
Step 4
Heat a tsp of oil in a pan.
Step 5
Cook the above pavakka pieces and finely chopped or slit green chillies in it along with turmeric powder until the pavakka turns soft and cooked. Do not fry it. Set aside when done.
Step 6
Heat a spoon of oil in the same pan.
Step 7
Allow to crackle the mustard seeds and sautT the dry red chillies and curry leaves.
Step 8
Add the sautTed pavakka into it.
Step 9
Squeeze the tamarind well and add that extract along with the water into the pan and Stir everything together thoroughly.
Step 10
Add the grated jaggery and Stir everything together thoroughly again.
Step 11
Add salt and let it simmer for sometime until the gravy becomes thick.
Step 12
Check for salt and sweetness and adjust accdgly.
Step 13
Though I¦m sure that even the pavakka haters would highly relish this dish, for all those hard-core pavakka haters, you can follow the same procedure to make Puli inji instead; in which case, simply substitute the pavakka with around 100 gm of finely chopped ginger and sautT it along with 10 odd green chillies.
Step 14
Absolutely easy to make and light on the ingredients, you can make puli inji with or without pavakka in bulk or in small quantities, refrigerate in a container and take it for use when required.
Step 15
So, there, you have another absolutely rocking dish from the exotic world of Kerala cuisine, which is sure to slake the tastebuds of those who are looking to have something naadan for lunch. Believe me, this is a must try at all costs something that is sure to bring a few navarasas on your face.
Step 16
So, on that arty note, happy cooking!
Step 17
*** Note : Do adjust the quantities for green chillies and jaggery accdgly. You can also add a tsp of finely chopped ginger.
Tip
Fresh curry leaves make a genuine difference. Dried curry leaves are a poor substitute — if you cannot get fresh ones, increase the quantity and fry them longer.
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