Bitter Gourd (Karela)!

As soon as you cut the karela dip it in tamarind syrup later you can use it and the sourness will be gone

 

Hi
I would like to share a dal made of karela. In Bengal there is a moong dal dish made of both bitter gourd and bottle gourd. My mother used to make it and I am extremely fond of this dish especially in the hot summer months.
Cut the karela into small round shapes. Fry the same and keep them aside. Next take the bottle gourd (louki) and peel it. Cut it length wise so that you get small square shapes. Next fry the moongdal and bottle gourd pieces in a karahi like you would prepare a moong dal dish. Introduce the bitter gourd pieces in the moong dal once the dal is ready and mix well.

 

My DH loves karelas.

I normally clean them, cut them into rings and let them to rest in curd and salt for about an hour. Then just wash them well and use as the recipe mentions.

We love them made in our traditional style.
Deep fry the karelas after washing them well (after they have been rested in curd and salt) till golden brown and crisp.

For about 250 gms of karelas. brown three finely chopped onions. Do not burn them. Now add about a tablespoon of sugar and let it caramelise with the onions. Add the fried karelas with a bit of salt and little bit water. Cover and cook till the karelas are soft and dry. This dish may be dark in appearance but its very tasty once you develop a taste for it. You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar and onions as per choice

 

Hi
Bitter gourd is good for health. It has well known anti diabetic properties. A few rings of karela at meal time will be good for the health of kids and DH. In my house, I cut a few rings of karela. Then I just give the karela a thin coat of besan and fry them. It makes them a little less bitter.
Hope you like the idea!

 

you can acutally, scrape, rub salt and leave for an hour, that should reduce the bitterness.

you can also make stuffed karelas, or stuffed kareala gravy..

wash,scrape the outer if you are not so fond of the the outer ridges. slit the karela lengthwise at one side along.. remove the seeds and fiber inside.. rub a little salt.

Now make a paneer baji/potato stuffing/ soya kheema stuffing.. stuff it into the karela and tie it with a thread...to ensure the stuffing does not come out..brush a little oil, and bake it at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes, depending on the quantity and your oven change the time.. if cooking on stove, use a shallow pan and cook it carefully.. untie the string if you are going to use it directly..otherwise leave the thread intact, and make a gravy for the same like we make for koftas..simmer the same..and snip off the thread before serving..

this is a very tasty dish..

 

I am in search of that authentic preserving of karela done by punjabis..which are not bitter..and taste yummy in dishes.. remember seeing in a friend's house, her mom actually dried the karelas after soaking in a mixture they are not extremely dry, they still retained some moisture.. it was during school days and never thought of asking..

 

i usually scrape the karelas,cut into very thin pieces,add salt, mix it and remove the water which oozes out...repeat till all the water is out..then make tempering and add arnd 3-4 onions (more than usual other curries) fry the onion n then add the karela till it is fried properly..add good amount of turmeric also..add red chilli pwdr..you may also add jaggery or sugar just 3-4 mins before switching off the stove

 

Hey,

Guys, I liked all the ideas...! Wonder if karela pakoras will not be bitter.....have always tried onion, tomato stuffing in karelas and cheese and potato stuffing sound interesting.....will definitely try it.....

Also, curd and salt idea tooks better than only salt to take out the bitterness of karela....thanks a lot for these tips....!

 

How to make tamarind syrup??

Thx.