Preparation:

• Soak a lemon size tamarind in warm water for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes squeeze and extract two cups of tamarind water. Keep aside.
• Chop red onion and garlic, set aside. I used red onions due to the unavailability of shallots. Shallots give a better taste to this kakarakaya pulusu (pavakka pulikuzhambu).
• Wash 2 large or 4 small Bittergourds and chop them thinly. Remove the seeds if they are hard and mature. I use the core flesh only of the bitter gourds that are young and soft.

Recipe:

How to make bitter gourd less bitter?

• Heat 2 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan and fry the bitter gourd pieces in medium heat.
• Saute the pavakkai pieces in oil with 1/2 tsp of salt for around 8 minutes until they shrink in size.
• The natural juices from the veggie evaporate and get roasted slightly.
• Transfer the oil-fried bitter gourd pieces into another plate.

Bittergourd tamarind curry:

• Next to the same pan with leftover oil add seasonings.
• Fry 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds and 1/2 tsp split urad dal.
• Let the mustard seeds splutter and the urad dal becomes light brown color.
• Add a cup of red onions or shallots and saute well until they become soft and transparent.
• Add a tbsp of chopped garlic with some fresh curry leaves and saute along with onions.
• Put a 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder and 3/4 tsp of chilli powder and 1/2 tsp of coriander powder.
• Saute few seconds and add fried bitter gourd.
• Next add twp cups of tamarind water, cover with a lid and cook the bitter gourd till soft.
• It takes around ten minutes to cook them and by the time the tamarind water reduces to half and leaves the raw smell.
• Add a tsp of crystal Salt as per taste and mix well.
• When the oil floats on top and sides, add the rice flour mix. To make it just mix a tbsp of rice flour with a quarter cup of water without lumps and add it to the gravy to make it thick.
• This is a great technique to thicken the gravy and to slightly add blandness to the heavy tang of tamarind. This also helps reduce the bitterness if any passed in the gravy.
• Add a tbsp of jaggery powder and mix.
• Let the gravy cook for five more minutes and switch it off.