Paarikyaai Poolikootakari (Bitter Gourd Side Dish)

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Urad Dal (split skinned black gram)
• 250 g bitter melons, remove seeds and cut into rings (karela)
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• salt
• 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp, soaked in 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sambhar powder or 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 1 teaspoon palm sugar or 1 teaspoon raw sugar (I suppose you could try this with regular white sugar as well)

1. Head oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add mustard seeds and urad dal.
2. When the mustard starts to sputter, add the sliced gourd, turmeric powder and salt and saute on a low flame for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the water that the tamarind was soaked in, sambar powder (or curry powder) and jaggery.
4. Cover and cook on a low flame for about 10 minutes; then check if the karela has been cooked; if not, add an additional 1/4 cup water, cover and cook until all the water has been absorbed.
5. Remove from flame and serve hot with rice and sambar, or chappatis.

oil, mustard seeds, black gram, bitter melons, turmeric, salt, tamarind pulp, sambhar powder, palm sugar

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/paarikyaai-poolikootakari-bitter-gourd-side-dish-56399 (may not work)