Haagal Kaayi (Bitter gourd) gojju

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd gojju

1. 4-5 medium sized haagal kaayi (bitter gourd)
2. One golf ball size tamarind or 1/2 cup tamarind paste
3. Bella/ Jaggery - One golf ball size jaggery
4. Sesame - 2 tsp (roasted and grinded)
5. Black gram/ Udhina belay - 2 tsp
6. Mustard Seeds/Saasive - 2 tsp
7. Garlic - 5 to 6 cloves
8. Curry leaves - 1 branch/ 10 leaves
9. Dry coconut powder - 3 to 4 tsp
10. Rasam powder - 4 tsp

Note:  [tsp: tea spoon]

Procedure:

1. Cut bitter gourd into medium slices (1/4 inch length and 1 cm thick). Mix the bitter gourd with 2 tsp of jaggery and 1 tsp of salt and keep it aside for about an hour. By doing so, you will remove the strong bitterness from the bitter gourd.
2. Squeeze the bitter gourd to remove the water and keep it aside. 
3. Add 4 tsp of oil (olive/peanut) and bring the pan to heat. Add the squeezed bitter gourd into the pan and fry it until the color changes to dull green. Make sure, you use medium to low flame while frying. Keep the fried bitter gourd aside.
4. Add 5 tsp of oil into the same pan and bring it to heat (Use medium flame). Add the following in the order
• 2 tsp of black gram (wait until it turns to golden yellow)
• 2 tsp of mustard seeds
• 5-6 cloves of chopped garlic (wait until it turns to golden yellow)
• curry leaves
5. Add tamarind paste, jaggery, and salt for taste. Add 1 cup of water and let it boil for 5 mins. 
• Note: If you are using regular tamarind and not the paste, soak the tamarind in water for 20 mins and then squeeze the juice out of it.
6. Add 4 tsp of rasam powder (Mangalore Rasam Powder Mix) into the boiling mix. Boil for 3-4 minutes
7. Add the fried bitter gourd into the mix and turn off the fire. 
8. Add 2 tsp of sesame powder and dry grated coconut mix.
9. Mix well and bitter gourd gojju is ready to eat.
10. Goes very well with hot rice or chapathis/Roti

Try it and please let me know how it went. Thanks :)