KARELA & LOBIA PITLAI

This dish can be made like sambhar or thicker like a kootu, can be had with rice or with chapathi 

Ingredients :

lobia dal soaked in water for an hour - 1/2 cup

karela finely chopped into small cubes - 1/2 cup

salt to taste

tamarind soaked in hot water - a lemon size ball

jaggery - 1 tsp

tur dal - 1/4 cup

For spice paste :

ghee - 1 tsp

methi seeds - 1 tsp

dhania seeds - 2 tbsp

chana dal - 2 tbsp

hing - 1 tsp 

fresh grated coconut - 5 tbsp

For tempering :

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

rai - 1 tsp

curry leaves - 5-6

Method :

1) remove tamarind pulp from the soaked tamarind, keep aside

2) roast the ingredients for spice paste without the coconut. once it becomes light brown, add the coconut and switch off the gas, make a paste of this

3) pressure cook the dal and the lobia. (make sure the lobia is not mashed, it should be just cooked)

4) smear salt in the karela cubes and keep aside for 1/2 hour, so that the bitterness goes away

5) wash the karela veggie. 

6) in a wide pan, add the tamarind pulp, salt and the karela veggie

7) when it is cooked, add the lobia, jaggery and boil for 5 more mins

8) add the ground paste and mix well

9) add the cooked dal, mix well and switch off the flame 

10) in a pan take coconut oil, splutter rai and add curry leaves