Wash the bitter gourd thoroughly with running water.

Cut and remove the seeds.

Chop it finely. You can make fine slits as shown and then chop them to get fine small pieces.

Soak tamarind in warm water and extract thick tamarind water/juice. Keep aside.

Chop onions and tomatoes finely.

Crush garlic pods.

Heat gingelly oil in a pan; add mustard jeera seeds and fenugreek seeds.

Let the mustard splutter and fenugreek/methi seeds turn to golden brown.

Add chopped onions and curry leaves and fry them nicely in oil.

Also add chopped green chillies, slit red chillies and crushed garlic pods.

Now put chopped tomatoes and fry with onions.

Let the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

Add salt required for this thokku at this stage. This helps tomatoes to cook fast.

Now add turmeric and chilli powders. Mix with masala.

Add chopped bitter gourd and saute well.

Let the vegetable absorb the spices for some 5 minutes. Keep sauteing to avoid burning the bottom.

When the bitter gourd is almost 3/4th cooked add thick tamarind extract.

Let the vegetable cook in tamarind water until it shrinks in quantity. Stir often, No need to close the lid. As we have chopped finely, the vegetable gets cooked fast.

After around ten minutes the tamarind water thickens and pavakkai absorbs tanginess along with spices.

At last, when the oil separates and floats on top of thokku, add powdered jaggery and mix.

Switch off after two minutes.

Serve with hot rice with potato fry or simply papad. This pavakkai thokku/gojju tastes great with dosa and chapati also.