• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Vidhya’s Vegetarian Kitchen logo
  • Home
  • About
    • VVK Galleries
    • VVK YouTube Channel
    • VVK Mentions
    • Privacy & Copyright Policies
  • Recipes
  • Shop
    • Amazon Shop
    • Cookbooks
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Blogging Marathon » Pavakkai Pitlai | Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar

    Pavakkai Pitlai | Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar

    Posted on April 19, 2016 · Last Updated on February 21, 2021 · By Srividhya G · 33 Comments

    4 shares
    • Share1
    • Tweet
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Card
    Pavakkai Pitlai or Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar in a white bowl on a light surface with raw ingredients blurred in the back

    Pavakkai Pitlai or Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar is an authentic and traditional sambar variety prepared with veggies and legumes.

    Pavakkai Pitlai or Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar served in a white bowl with a big white spoon right next to it

    Pitlai is an authentic and traditional sambar variety prepared with veggies like Brinjal or Bitter Gourd or Cluster Beans and with legumes. Traditionally black/brown chick peas are used but you can also use any legumes that you have in hand. Also for pitlai instead of sambar powder we use fresh ground coconut masala. Today’s I am presenting pitlai, prepared with bitter gourd and black eyed peas.

    Like how Orange Peel Kuzhambu is a cousin to Puli Kuzhambu, Pitlai is cousin to arichu vitta sambar and the sibling of Tiruvadirai Seven Veggie Sambar. (Thanks Nalini, for introducing me these relations among the sambars. lol) Every time friends used to ask me here in US that how can I prepare sambar every day? Just to explain the different varieties, I wrote this post last year – About Sambar. I wish there could be an English word to say Kuzhambu. IMO or I classify sambar into three broad categories based on how we prepare in our household, (Again each and every family have their own traditional recipes)

    1. Ariachu Vitta Sambar – Basically all sambar that uses fresh ground masala and toor dal. Coconut becomes mandatory.
    2. Paruppu Kuzhambu / Sambar – For this we use toor dal but we use sambar podi and don’t go with fresh masala. Coconut is not mandatory.
    3. Puli Kuzhambu – This in turn has zillion varieties but basically we don’t use toor dal here as in like sambar. But the masala and addition of coconut/coconut milk differs for each and every Kuzhambu.

    Then we have Gojju/Pachadi, Gothsu and avial (I don’t know if its kootu or sambar, as we mix with rice and also use it as side I categorize under both). See, this list goes on and on and on. This is my 22nd recipe under the category sambar.

    Ok, I am done with my ruminations. Here is the recipe….

    Pavakkai Pitlai or Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar in a white bowl on a light surface with raw ingredients blurred in the back

    Pavakkai Pitlai or Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar Recipe

    Ingredients:

    • Bitter Gourd – 5 (small sized)
    • Black Eyed beans  – ¼ cup
    • Tamarind paste – 1 tbsp
    • Water – for steaming bitter gourd + 2 cups for boiling dal and 1 cup for mixing tamarind
    • Toor dhal – ½ cup
    • Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
    • Salt – around 1 tbsp

    To Roast and Grind:

    • Dhaniya – ¼ cup
    • Dried red chillies – 5
    • Kadala Paruppu / Channa Dal – 3tbsps
    • Methi seeds – 1 tsp
    • Urad Dal – 2 tsps
    • Grated Coconut – ¼ cup

    For Tempering:

    • Oil – 2 tsps
    • Mustard seeds – 2 tsps
    • Methi seeds – 1 tsp
    • Hing – 1 tsp
    • Curry leaves  & Cilantro for garnish

    Prep – Work:

    • If you are using dried beans soak them for 2 to 3hrs or overnight.
    • Also, if your are using tamarind soak it water and extract the juice. If you are using the paste, mix it 1 cup of water and set aside.
    • Pressure cook the ½ cup of toor dal with 2 cups of water and ½ tsp of turmeric powder.
    • Let it cool down and mash it well.

    Letting the mixture cool down before mashing it

    • Pressure cook beans for 2 whistles or you can microwave them.

    Getting the beans ready for pressure cooking

    • Cut the bitter gourd into two halves and remove all the seeds and chop them.
    • Microwave them for about 5 minutes and make sure they are al-dente and not mushy.

    Bitter Gourd cut into small pieces in a white bowl

    • Dry roast all the ingredients given under roast and grind and grind them by adding ½ cup of water and set aside.

    Dry roasting all the ingredients needed for the recipe Grinding all the ingredients with water

    Method:

    • Heat the kadai or the heavy bottom vessel and add oil.
    • Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, methi seeds and hing.
    • As they start to splutter, add the microwaved bitter gourd and black eyed peas.
    • Now add the tamarind water, salt and mix well. Let it simmer.

    Adding tamarind water, salt, mixing everything and letting it simmer in a pan

    • As it starts to simmer, add the ground masala and and mix well.

    Adding the ground masala and and mixing it well in a pan

    • Let it simmer again for couple of minutes and then add the mashed toor dal mixture.
    • Check for salt at this stage and if required add more.
    • Mix well and let it cook for 5 more minutes and turn of the heat. Pitlai is comparatively thicker than sambhar. So let it simmer till it thickens.
    • Finally add the cilantro and curry leaves.

    Adding cilantro and curry leaves to the dish

    That’s it. The sambhar is ready!

    Notes:

    • Bitter gourd can be replaced with cluster beans or brinjal.
    • Similarly black eyed peas can be replaced with brown chick peas or garbanzo beans or beans of your choice.
    • My MIL adds 1 tsp of sambar powder and that gives it more darker color and also adds spice. You can adjust the spice level either by adding more red chillies or sambar powder.

    Side view of a bowl full of the delicious Pavakkai Pitlai or Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar

    Enjoying this Pavakkai Pitlai? You will love these, too:

    • Bitter gourd curry / Pavakkai poriyal
    • Bitter Gourd Chips | Air Fryer Bitter Gourd Chips | Karela Chips
    • Weekly Planner with One Pot Meal Options
    • Black Eyed Peas & Brinjal Kuzhambu

    Have you made this recipe?

    If you’ve made this Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar, please share your photos with me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter – I will be delighted to see your results!

    Pavakkai Pitlai or Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar served in a white bowl with a big white spoon right next to it
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Pavakkai Pitlai | Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar

    Pavakkai Pitlai or Bitter Gourd Black Eyed Peas Sambar is an authentic and traditional sambar variety prepared with veggies and legumes.
    Prep Time45 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Course: Main Course, rice accompaniment
    Cuisine: South Indian, TamilNadu
    Calories:
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    Ingredients

    • 5 Bitter Gourds small sized
    • ¼ cup Black Eyed beans
    • 1 tbsp Tamarind paste
    • Water, for steaming bitter gourd + 2 cups for boiling dal and 1 cup for mixing tamarind
    • ½ cup Toor dhal
    • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
    • 1 tbsp Salt

    To Roast and Grind

    • ¼ cup Dhaniya
    • 5 Dried red chillies
    • 3 tbsps Kadala Paruppu / Channa Dal
    • 1 tsp Methi seeds
    • 2 tsps Urad Dal
    • ¼ cup Grated Coconut

    For Tempering

    • 2 tsps Oil - 2 tsps
    • 2 tsps Mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp Methi seeds
    • 1 tsp Hing
    • Curry leaves & cilantro for garnish

    Instructions

    Prep work

    • If you are using dried beans soak them for 2 to 3hrs or overnight.
    • If your are using tamarind soak it water and extract the juice. If you are using the paste, mix it 1 cup of water and set aside.
    • Pressure cook the ½ cup of toor dal with 2 cups of water and ½ tsp of turmeric powder.
    • Let it cool down and mash it well.
    • Pressure cook beans for 2 whistles or you can microwave them.
    • Cut the bitter gourd into two halves and remove all the seeds and chop them.
    • Microwave them for about 5 minutes and make sure they are al-dente and not mushy.
    • Dry roast all the ingredients given under roast and grind and grind them by adding ½ cup of water and set aside.

    Method

    • Heat the kadai or the heavy bottom vessel and add oil.
    • Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, methi seeds and hing.
    • As they start to splutter, add the microwaved bitter gourd and black eyed peas.
    • Now add the tamarind water, salt and mix well. Let it simmer.
    • As it starts to simmer, add the ground masala and and mix well.
    • Let it simmer again for couple of minutes and then add the mashed toor dal mixture.
    • Check for salt at this stage and if required add more.
    • Mix well and let it cook for 5 more minutes and turn of the heat. Pitlai is comparatively thicker than sambhar. So let it simmer till it thickens.
    • Finally add the cilantro and curry leaves.

    Notes

    • Bitter gourd can be replaced with cluster beans or brinjal.
    • Similarly black eyed peas can be replaced with brown chick peas or garbanzo beans or beans of your choice.
    • My MIL adds 1 tsp of sambar powder and that gives it more darker color and also adds spice. You can adjust the spice level either by adding more red chillies or sambar powder.

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

    Journey Through The Cuisines banner

    Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 63.

    4 shares
    • Share1
    • Tweet
    • Reddit

    Filed Under: Blogging Marathon, Sambhar Varieties Tagged With: A-Z Challenge, bitter gourd pitali with black eyed peas, Blogging Marathon, how to prepare bitter gourd pitlai, how to prepare pitlai, paaharkai pitlai, paavakai thattam payaru pitlai, paavakkai pitlai, pitlai

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mireille Roc (@ChefMireille) says

      May 10, 2016 at 4:33 pm

      not a bitter gourd fan myself but my Mom would love this sambar

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 11, 2016 at 7:34 am

        he he.. thanks

        Reply
    2. sapana behl says

      May 05, 2016 at 8:59 pm

      Very interesting combination of black eyed peas and bitter gourd.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 06, 2016 at 7:59 am

        Thanks Sapana :-)

        Reply
    3. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      May 03, 2016 at 6:44 pm

      We grew lot of pavakkai and I froze lot of pavakkai to make the pitlai. We add chick peas to the pitlai, but adding black eyed peas sounds really interesting. I love black eyed peas :)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 04, 2016 at 9:51 am

        oh wow.. you grew them here in US kya? Amazing. Traditionally check peas are added buy my love towards black eyed peas made me add it for pitlai too. Thanks Sandhya.

        Reply
    4. Smruti | Herbivore Cucina says

      April 27, 2016 at 1:38 pm

      I love black eyed peas but never tried it with karela. You gave me a great idea for an easy lunch recipe. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 27, 2016 at 6:34 pm

        You are most welcome Smruti. thanks a lot.

        Reply
    5. Pavani says

      April 25, 2016 at 7:08 pm

      That is one hearty & delicious pitlai Vidhya.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2016 at 9:42 pm

        Thanks Pavani.

        Reply
    6. harini says

      April 22, 2016 at 10:23 am

      Wow! that is a fantastic combination. Sounds very flavorful too.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 22, 2016 at 1:40 pm

        Thanks Harini. :-)

        Reply
    7. Priya Suresh says

      April 22, 2016 at 2:14 am

      Lipsmacking here, pavakkai pitlai makes me hungry, wat a fabulous dish.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 22, 2016 at 7:47 am

        Thanks Priya. :-)

        Reply
    8. Amara says

      April 20, 2016 at 1:53 pm

      Very interesting sambhar, looks delicious:)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 20, 2016 at 8:13 pm

        Thanks Amara.

        Reply
    9. CHCooks says

      April 20, 2016 at 6:13 am

      I am glad to announce that I am recent fan of bitter gourd :D I would love to try out Pitlai sometime. I have never tried it when amma makes it but now that I can handle the bitterness, I am going to give it a try. Beautiful pictures Sri!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 20, 2016 at 8:18 am

        yayy.. great. Try it out CH. Pitlai is also prepared with clustered beans and brinjals.

        Reply
    10. gayathri says

      April 20, 2016 at 5:45 am

      Healthy pitlai. nice presentation.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 20, 2016 at 8:21 am

        Thanks Gayathri.

        Reply
    11. Srivalli says

      April 20, 2016 at 2:47 am

      The pictures are so bright and nice..good dish…

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 20, 2016 at 8:23 am

        Thanks a lot Valli.

        Reply
    12. theveggiecooker says

      April 20, 2016 at 12:41 am

      Looks delish

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 20, 2016 at 8:24 am

        Thanks a lot Smruti.

        Reply
    13. Gayathri Kumar says

      April 19, 2016 at 8:14 pm

      Love this pitlai. Looks absolutely inviting..

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 19, 2016 at 9:46 pm

        Thanks Gayathri.

        Reply
    14. Bharani says

      April 19, 2016 at 6:22 pm

      Husband likes anything with bitter gourd… Will try this definitely

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 20, 2016 at 8:33 am

        Thanks Bharani. Please do let me know how it turned out.

        Reply
    15. usha says

      April 19, 2016 at 4:13 pm

      Pitlai looks delicious and thanks for simplifying the sambar varieties. I always get confused when I visit some of the Tamil blogs.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 20, 2016 at 8:33 am

        ha ha thanks Usha. So many sambar varieties. Glad it helped. Thanks again.

        Reply
    16. Suma Gandlur says

      April 19, 2016 at 8:15 am

      Sounds yummy, Vidhya. My husband loves bitter goud and I am going to definitely try this.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 19, 2016 at 8:24 am

        Thanks a lot Suma.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    Author Vidhya smiling in the renovated kitchen

    Hello all, I am Srividhya, the person behind this blog. I firmly believe that the mouth is the way to the heart. My blog is all about vegetarian and vegan food with unique and exciting recipes from all over the world. From traditional, authentic recipes to fusion and eggless bakes, you can find it all here! Read more →

    Enjoy My Cookbooks

    Two cookbooks beautifully presented on the table

    Discover the diverse and delicious taste of South India, eggless recipes made in Instant Pot and other deliciousness! Find out more →

    Sign Up to Newsletter

    Must-Try Soup Recipes 

    • Vegan Miso Ramen Soup With Tofu
    • Easy Pumpkin Soup | Pumpkin Shorba
    • Vegan Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup | Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
    • Broccoli Almond Soup (Instant Pot Method)

    As Featured On

    As seen on logo banner

    YouTube

    Follow me on YouTube for regular recipe videos and insights from my kitchen!

    Follow

    Disclosure

    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate VVK earns from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy →

    Most Popular Posts

    • Tofu Scramble | Scrambled Tofu Breakfast Burrito
    • Pesto Mozzarella Sandwich
    • Sweet Corn and Steel Cut Oats Soup
    • Easy Cream Cheese Pasta with Broccoli
    • Aloo Masoor Dal | Potato With Red Lentils
    • Alu Diye Cholar Dal | Bengali-Style Lentils with Potatoes

    Explore Your Favorites

    15 + Mango Recipes

    25 + Easy South Indian Instant Pot Recipes

    10 + Must Try Vegetarian Pasta Recipes

    20 + Kids Friendly Lunch Box Recipes

    20 + Indian Lentils Recipes Made in Instant Pot

    Footer


    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - Privacy Policy
    HOME | ABOUT | CONTACT US

    Footer

    ↑ Back to Top

    VVK horizontal logo

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Cooking

    • Sign Up to Newsletter
    • All Recipes
    • My Cookbooks
    • My Amazon Shop

    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program

    Copyright © 2023 | VidhyasHomeCooking.com