Bitter gourd Kosambari

Ingredients : 

Bitter gourd  : 4 Nos
Onion : 3-4  Nos 
Mustard seeds  - For tempering
Coriander seeds : 2-3 spoons
Chilli Byadagi - According to your taste
Grated Coconut - 6 spoons
Cooking oil - 3 spoons
fenugreek seeds - 1/4 spoon
urad dal - 1 spoon for tempering
salt : According to taste
Tamarind - 1 Small lemon sized
Curry leaves (optional)

Method: 

• Chop bitter gourd into small pieces and soak in salt water for overnight( Soaking in salt water is to reduce the bitterness).
• Next day take out the chopped bitter gourd & remove excess water by squeezing. Keep aside.
• Chop onions into small pieces and keep aside.
• Heat 1 spoon of oil in pan, add squeezed bitter gourd & fry till it becomes crispy.Keep aside.
• Fry Coriander seeds, grated coconut,fenugreek seeds, chilli byadagi in a pan with little oil till fenugreek splits & aroma spreads around.Grind these ingredients with little water, tamarind & required amount of salt till coarse mixture. 
• Now in the same pan, heat 1 spoon of oil, add urad dal, mustard seeds. let mustard seeds splutter, add chopped onions and fry till onion changes its color.
• Add fried bitter gourd and coarse mixture, mix well. 
• Heat in low flame till the water content evaporates.(It helps to save for 2-3 days without refrigerating)
• Serve with rice/curd rice.

Note : Kosambari tastes very good if oil is replaced by ghee.
          I have used microwave oven to make bitter gourd crispy. It saves time & easy compared to frying in pan.