CHANNA BITTER GOURD CURRY / CHANNA PAVAKKAI CURRY / CHANNA BITTER GOURD GRAVY

A month back I invented this delicious curry :-)  My family loves bitter gourd in any form and me just to the core!  Last month when I was making this curry it looked very less and since it was on Sunday I just wanted to make it more.  I always have tinned  Chickpeas in my pantry for an emergency and it happened to add that in the curry.  Since it was very less I added this channa and wowwwwww what an excellent invention it was.  I just loved it.  My kids and my hubby they appreciated me like anything :-)  I packed for my friend Sangeetha's family and they loved it.  Nowadays whenever I make bitter gourd and just adding this channa too :-)  Try this different but delicious curry which goes well with rice as well as roti.  

INGREDIENTS:

Pavakkai             - 1 cup

Chickpeas           - 1/2 cup

Onion                  - 1 finely chopped

Tomato                - 1 chopped

Sambar powder   - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Tamarind juice     - 3 tsp

Jaggery powder    - 1 tsp (optional)

Salt                       - as needed

To temper:

Oil                         - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds       - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds         - 1 tsp

Curry leaves         - few

Asafoetida            - a pinch

HOW TO MAKE:

Soak channa / chickpeas overnight or 5 to 6 hours.  I used tinned one hence I did not soak it.  Cut bitter gourd into half, remove the seeds and cut into pieces.  Heat oil in a kadai splutter mustard seeds, add cumin seeds.  Add curry leaves and asafoetida.  Add finely chopped onion and let it turn into transparent.  

When the onion turned transparent add cut bitter gourd.  Blend well and let it get cook.  When it start shrinking add chopped tomatoes.  Mix well and let it get tender.   Add needed salt.  

Add sambar powder and turmeric powder.   Blend well and let it get cook for 5 mins. Add tamarind juice and soon it will form a thick gravy and the oil leaves the kadai.  At that time add chick peas.  

Mix well and sprinkle some water.  Do not add more water.  Let the chick peas and the bitter gourd get cooked and turn off the stove.  

Serve with rice or rotis :-) 

TIPS:

Do not add more water.  Consistency should be like a gravy and if you want watery then add water as you need.

Add red chilli, coriander powder instead sambar powder.  

Add a tsp of jaggery before turn off the stove.  I do not like the sweetness in any of the curry hence I didn't add.