Hagalakayi Arashina Menasu / Bitter Gourd Coconut Gravy

Ingredients:

3 medium sized Bitter Gourd / Hagalakayi

Large grape sized Tamarind

6-7 Red Chillies

1/2 tsp of Turmeric powder

1 tsp Chilly powder

Large lemon sized Jaggary

1 - 1 1/4 cup grated Coconut

Salt to taste

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

4-5 Curry leaves

1 tsp Oil

Recipe:

Cut bitter gourd into two pieces and remove the seeds. Chop bitter gourd into long thin pieces(1 inch sized) as shown in the picture below.

Put tamarind in a bowl and add little amount of water. Squeeze it and keep it aside.

Put only bitter gourd pieces in a vessel containing salted water for about 1 hr. Squeeze all the bitter gourd pieces and put them in a vessel. Add  1/4 tsp turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt, tamarind water, jaggary, little amount of water and bring them to boil. Cook them in medium/low flame for about 30 mins until almost all the water content gets evaporated.

Grind grated coconut, red chillies, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder into smooth paste by adding sufficient amount of water. (If it is frozen coconut use hot water while grinding.) Add this ground coconut to the vessel containing cooked bitter gourd, mix them well and bring them to boil. Keep this in low flame for about 2-3 mins.

Add mustard seeds and oil in a pan. Once it starts spluttering, add curry leaves and then add it to the curry. It goes well with Rice /Rottis/Chapathis.