Kakarakaya Pappu

Ingredients

• - 1 cup toor dal
• - 250g bitter gourd (kakarakaya)
• - 2 tbsp ghee
• - 5 garlic cloves
• - 1 tsp mustard seeds
• - 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• - 2 dried red chillies
• - 1 sprig curry leaves
• - 1/4 tsp turmeric
• - Salt to taste
• - Juice of half lemon

Method

1. Cook toor dal: Wash half cup toor dal. Pressure cook with 1.5 cups water and half tsp turmeric for 4 whistles. Mash partially.
2. Prepare bitter gourd: Wash 1-2 kakarakaya (bitter gourds). Halve, remove seeds and cut into 2-cm pieces. Rub with salt, leave 15 minutes and rinse well.
3. Fry bitter gourd: Heat 2 tbsp oil. Fry bitter gourd on medium heat 6-8 minutes until golden and slightly crispy. This reduces bitterness significantly.
4. Combine with dal: Add fried bitter gourd to the toor dal. Add half cup water. Cook on medium heat covered 8 minutes.
5. Add jaggery: Add 1 tsp jaggery to balance the bitterness. Mix well.
6. Simmer: Cook 5 minutes until well blended.
7. Make ghee tadka: Heat 2 tbsp ghee until hot.
8. Add tadka: Add 1 tsp mustard seeds. When they pop add 3 dried red chillies, garlic slices, asafoetida and curry leaves.
9. Pour tadka: Pour sizzling tadka over kakarakaya pappu.
10. Serve: Adjust salt. Kakarakaya pappu has a pleasantly bitter note balanced by jaggery. Serve with steamed rice and ghee.