Stuffed Bitter Gourd Recipe
Bitter gourd or 'karela' is a very healthy vegetable. Although it is bitter in taste, this stuffed bitter gourd recipe makes this healthy vegetable very delicious to eat with roti or rice.
Ingredients
- Bitter Gourd - 2 medium
- Salt - To taste
- Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
- Oil - 2 & 3/4 tsp
- Onion - 1 small chopped
- Sesame seeds - 1 & 1/2 tsp
- Dry coconut - 2 tbsp grated
- Garlic - 1 tsp chopped
- Roasted peanut powder - 2 tbsp
- Kala / Goda Masala - 1/2 tsp
- Thick Tamarind Pulp - 1/4 tsp
- Jaggery (gud) (optional) - 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds (rai) - 1/4 tsp
- Asafoetida (Hing) - A pinch
- Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Instructions
- With a peeler, peel out all the skin of the bitter gourds. Do not discard the peels, keep aside.
- Cut the bitter gourds horizontally into small 1" big cylinders.
- Carefully remove all the seeds inside all the cylinders and keep aside.
- Heat 1 cup water in a pot, and add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, and 1/4 tsp salt to it.
- Bring to boil and add the bitter gourd to it.
- Continue boiling for 15 minutes, till the gourd changes color and is 50% cooked.
- Allow to cool and drain away all the water used for boiling.
- In another pan, heat 1 & 1/2 tsp oil and add the chopped onion.
- Stir fry till onion becomes brownish.
- Add the peels of the gourd that were kept aside in step 1, sesame seeds and dry grated coconut.
- Stir fry till the sesame seeds and the coconut become pinkish brown in color.
- Add the garlic and the roasted peanut powder, mix and turn off the heat.
- Allow this filling to cool and then grind in a grinder to make a slightly coarse paste.
- Add salt and red chili powder to taste. Also add tamarind pulp, and jaggery. Mix well and the filling is ready.
- Now stuff all the bitter gourd cylinders with this filling.
- Heat 1 & 1/4 tsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds crackle, add asafoetida, and turmeric powder.
- Add all the stuffed bitter gourds and stir fry for a few seconds.
- Add water till the bitter gourd is almost fully immersed. ( I added about 1 cup water.)
- Add any remaining filling, and cover to cook.
- Allow to cook for 15 minutes, on low heat, without removing the cover at anytime. (Keeping the cover on for all the time when cooking, helps reduce the bitterness of this vegetable.)
- Turn off the heat after 15 minutes and serve hot with roti or chapati.
