Bitter Gourd (Pavakkai) Paruppu Usili

How to Prepare

1. Soak the toor dal, chana dal, and red chilies as per pre-processing instructions.
2. Grind the soaked dals and chilies with asafoetida and salt into a coarse paste without adding water.
3. Steam the ground dal paste in a steamer for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Let it cool.
4. Crumble the steamed dal mixture into small pieces using your hands or a fork.
5. Wash and finely chop the bitter gourd. Sprinkle salt over it and let it sit for 10 minutes to reduce bitterness, then squeeze out excess water.
6. Heat oil in a large pan, add mustard seeds, and let them splutter.
7. Add urad dal and curry leaves to the pan, sauté until dal turns golden.
8. Add the chopped bitter gourd and cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes until tender.
9. Add the crumbled dal mixture to the pan and mix well with the bitter gourd.
10. Cook for another 5-7 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is well combined and slightly crispy.
11. Adjust salt if needed and serve hot with rice and rasam.