Bitter Guard Pitlai - Kerala style

This is how my patti make pitlai with bitter guard. The main ingredients are as follow:
Ingredients

1. Bitter guard - 3 (wash and cut it evenly)
2. Toor dal - 3/4 cup
   
3. Tamarind paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
4. Coriander seeds - 3 tbsp
5. Channa dal - 3/4 tbsp
6. Urid dal - 1/2 tbsp
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Red chillies - 2
9. Pepper - 1 tbsp
   
10. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
11. Fresh coconut - 4 tbsp (Kerala iyers use lot of coconut)
12. Salt to taste
13. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
14. Sambar powder - 3/4 tsp

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 1 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. curry leaves - 10 - 12
5. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

Pressure cook the toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder. In a small pan, pour a drop of oil and pre heat it. Fry coriander seeds, channa dal, urid dal, red chillies, pepper and asafoetida powder to golden brown. Now add the coconut to it and stir it once and turn off the stove. Let it cool and grind it into a paste.

In a wide pan, mix the tamarind paste with a cup of water and add the bitterguard to it. Also add turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt and let it boil for 7 mts. When the bitter guard becomes tender add the coconut paste to it and let it again boil for another 3 mts. Finally add toor dal to it and let it cook for another 2 or 3 mts. Turn off the stove, when the aroma comes out from the sambar.

In a small pan, pre heat the remaining oil, add mustard seeds to it when it splutters add curry leaves, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida powder to it. Do not burn it. Pour it into the sambar. Now the sambar is ready to serve. Above said quantity is enough for 4 people.