Bittergourd Sambar (Parikkai Pitlai)

Ingredients:
Chopped Bittergourd : 1 cup (remove the seeds while cutting)
marinate the bittergourd with 1 tspp of salt for 5-10 minutes. Wash it under running water. This is to take away the bitterness.
Toor dal: just above qtr cup.
Tamarind : 1 limesize. Soak it in water
Salt to taste
curry leaves.
For gravy:
Chana dal : 1 tbsp
Urid dal : 1 tsp
Red chilli 5-6
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Oil : 1 tsp
Grated coconut : Qtr cup
For seasoning:
Oil : 1 tsp
Mustard : 1 tsp
Method:
Extract pulp from imli. adding water.   Boil the vegetable in tamarind pulp adding qtr sppon of haldi and salt.
Cook toor dal separately in a cooker.
Broil the chanadal, urid dal and red chilli in oil. Add asafoetida.  Grind it to a fine paste with coconut.
When the vegetable is cooked add toor dall and the ground paste.  add water depending on the consistency.
Season it with mustard seeds. add curry leaves.
There is another method: saute the vegetable in oil and then cook it in tamarind water.  You can also add cooked kabuli chana - qtr cup. and for gravy you can fry little pepper (1 tsp)with the dal. For seasoning you may also fry 2 tbsp of cocnut golden brown and add.