Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 1 hagalakayi or bitter gourd
2. 1 tsp urad dal
3. 4 tsp cooking oil
4. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
5. A big pinch turmeric powder
6. A big pinch of asafoetida
7. 4-5 curry leaves
8. 1 big lemon sized jaggery
9. 1 small lemon sized tamarind
10. Salt as per your taste
11. 1 cup water

Ingredients for grinding:

1. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2. 2 - 4 red chili
3. 1/2 cup grated coconut

Instructions for making hagalakayi or bitter gourd palya:

1. Wash, deseed and finely chop the bitter gourd. Immerse finely chopped bitter gourd in salt water for 10 minutes. (water and a tsp of salt).
2. Next take oil in a frying pan and heat it. Add in 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and 1 tsp urad dal.
3. When the mustard seed splutters or urad dal turns brown, add in turmeric powder, asafoetida and curry leaves.
4. Drain the water and add in chopped bitter gourd. Fry for a minute under medium flame.
5. Add in a cup of water and bring it to boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the flame and cook the bitter gourd until soft under low flame. Do not close the lid. Add water if required.
6. Once the bitter gourd is cooked, add in tamarind extract, jaggery and salt.
7. Mix well and continue boiling under low flame until water is almost dry.
8. Meantime dry grind the grated coconut, red chilies and 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds using a small mixie jar.
9. Add in ground coconut and red chili mixture.
10. Mix well for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove and serve it with hot steaming rice or chapathi.

Dear reader, We have a brief Kannada description of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.