Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Serves: 8

Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 3 medium sized hagalakayi or bitter gourd
2. 4 tbsp jaggery (adjust as per your taste)
3. 1 big lemon sized tamarind
4. 2 tbsp Salt (or as per your taste)

Ingredients for tempering:

1. 1 tsp mustard seeds
2. 1 tsp urad dal
3. 1 tsp chana dal
4. 7 -8 curry leaves
5. Big pinch turmeric powder
6. Big pinch of asafoetida
7. 4 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients for grinding:

1. 10 - 12 red chillies
2. 2 tbsp chana dal
3. 2 tbsp urad dal
4. 1/2 cup grated coconut

Instructions for making hagalakayi palya:

1. To begin with, deseed and chop the Bitter gourd. Optionally soak the chopped Bitter gourd in salt water.
2. To prepare the masala, take red chillies, chana dal and urad dal in a frying pan.
3. Add a tsp of oil and fry until dals turn brown.
4. Wait until warm and make a fine powder.
5. Add the coconut.
6. Grind it for a while without adding water. Masala is ready, kep it aside.
7. Next heat the oil in a frying pan and prepare the tempering using mustard seeds, chana dal and urad dal.
8. Wait until mustard seeds splutter and dals turn brown. Add turmeric powder, asafoetida and curry leaves.
9. Squeeze the water and add the chopped bitter gourd. Fry for a minute under medium flame.
10. Fry for 2 minutes under high flame.
11. Add tamarind, jaggery and salt. Can be adjusted later also.
12. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring it to boil. Reduce the flame and cook until bitter gourd turns soft. Do not close the lid while cooking the Bitter gourd.
13. Once the bitter gourd is cooked, add the masala from step 6. Make sure it is not very dry, add water if needed.
14. Give it a good mix.
15. Mix well for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove and serve it with hot steaming rice or chapati.

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