Ingredients:

Bitter gourd – 1 medium sized (sliced)

Shallots (small onions) – 10 (thinly sliced)

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece (sliced)

Garlic – 2-3 (sliced)

Green chilly – 2 slit lengthwise

Grated Coconut – 1 , 1/2 cup

Dry red chillies – 10

Coriander seeds – 2 teaspoons

Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Cumin powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Fenugreek powder – 1 pinch

Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves – 3-4 sprigs

Tamarind – 1 small lime sized ball

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2-3 tablespoons

How to:

Slice the bitter gourd, add a little salt and a pinch of turmeric, mix and keep aside.

Soak tamarind in 1 cup warm water for about 10 minutes and extract the pulp from it.

In a pan roast the coconut till it turns golden brown. Next add the dry red chillies, coriander seeds, turmeric, cumin powder, and 2 sprigs of curry leaves and roast for a while till the coconut browns a little more and the masala gets roasted. When the coconut turns dark brown remove the pan from flame and allow the mixture to cool.

After it has cooled grind the masala and coconut to a fine paste  adding enough water during the process.

In a deep bottomed pan add oil and splutter mustard seeds. Sauté shallots, green chillies and curry leaves, till the shallots turn golden brown. Add one pinch of fenugreek powder and stir for a second. Add the bitter gourd to the pan and stir fry for about 5 – 10 minutes.

Add the ground masala paste to the pan and sauté till oil separates. Pour in the tamarind paste and 1/2 cup water. Add enough salt and bring to a boil. Simmer and cook till the bitter gourd is soft and a thin film of oil appears on the curry.

Serve with rice.

Tip:

Theeyal can me made with Bitter gourd, Onions, yam and prawns, Eggplant, Drumstick and prawns and also with fish.