Bitter Gourd-Dryfish Stir Fry/Pavakka-Unakkameen thoran/പാവക്കാ-ഉണക്കമീന്‍ തോരന്‍

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd, finely chopped - 1.5 cups
Dried fish, fried and crushed-3/4 cup
(preferably any dry fish without bones)
Onion-1 large, chopped
Ginger, chopped-1 tsp
Garlic, chopped, 1 tsp
Green chilly-3-5, finely chopped
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Grated coconut-1 cup
Kudam puli-2, soak them in 1/8 cup of water
Oil-1 tbsp
Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
Method:
Add oil into a pan, splutter mustards and add chopped green chilly, garlic, ginger and curry leaves. Saute for two minutes. Stir in chopped bitter gourd and onion. Pour in the kudam puli along with water and cook covered until it is half done. Add crushed dried fish, grated coconut and cook until its done. Boil off any excess water and stir fry for couple of minutes. Serve with rice.
Tips:
To reduce the bitterness, chop bitter gourd into salt water. Then drain the salt water by squeezing.
Soak the dry fish in water for 30-45min if they are too salty. Drain water and fry them in oil.

Pacha thakkali thoran/ raw tomatoes in coconut

Ingredients:

1. Raw tomato/ pacha thakkali-2 medium
2. Grated coconut-1/2 cup
3. Shallots-6
4. Green chilly-1-2
5. Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
6. Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
7. Curry leaves- few
8. Dry red chilly-1
9. Salt
10. Coconut oil or any veg oil-1-2 tsp

Method:

• Finely chop tomatoes, green chillies and shallots. 
• Mix together grated coconut, turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes, green chilly, shallots and salt.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.Add curry leaves and dry red chilly. Then add the above tomato coconut mixture and cook covered in medium heat until tomatoes are done. Finally open the lid and dry it well. Serve with rice