Masala Karela Fry

What is Bitter Gourd?

Bitter Gourd also known as Bitter Melon, bitter cucumber, or Bitter Squash is widely used in Asian cooking. Known as Karela in Hindi or Pavakkai in Tamil, it is a long green fruit in the gourd family with pointed angled ridges and narrow tapered ends. It has a sharp bitter taste and hence the name.

Growing up in India, I remember my mom and my grandmother making this Karela Sabzi often. Although as a child I was not very fond of the bitter taste of Karela, this particular method of preparing the Karela takes out most of the bitterness while adding addictive sweet, tangy flavors with a hint of spice to the dish. If you are one of those people who would like to add Karela to your diet but are on the fence, this recipe is for you!

This Karela sabzi is made by first blanching pieces of Karela in salt water to remove the excess bitter taste. It is then dipped with tamarind and jaggery paste which masks the bitterness while complimenting the flavors. Next, the Karela pieces are generously coated with a flavorful spice mix made using earthy gram flour, nutty peanuts, and warming spices before pan-frying. Garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds these Karela wedges are so tasty especially paired with roti, parathas, dal-rice, or khichdi.

Ingredients

• Karela (Bitter Gourd) - Easily available in Indian and Asian grocery stores. Make sure to pick firm and fresh green ones that are about the thickness of zucchini as the thicker ones will have a lot more seeds inside. Some stores also carry short ones that are about 4 to 5 inches long and can also be used in this recipe.
• Besan (Gram Flour) - finely ground gram flour adds earthy notes to the dish
• Tamarind Paste - Tangy tamarind is a must in this recipe as it beautifully masks some of the bitterness of karela making it palatable. I love buying premade tamarind concentrate as it is a huge time saver. If you have dried tamarind, make sure to soak it in hot water and then squeeze out the paste.
• Jaggery - A must in many Maharashtrian Dishes, jaggery is raw cane sugar available in Asian grocery stores. Jaggery is often paired with tamarind for the signature tangy-sweet taste.
• Peanuts - Roasted and ground peanut powder (shengadanyacha koot in marathi) is another staple in the Maharashtrian kitchen that adds earthy flavors and a nutty bite to countless dishes including stir-fries, chutneys, and khichdi. Simply dry roast raw peanuts on low to medium heat stirring frequently for five to ten minutes or until they are slightly golden brown and aromatic. Allow them to cool down completely and then grind them coarsely.
• Spices - turmeric, red chili powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, and garam masala along with salt add heat and earthy flavors to the Karela.

How to Make Masala Karela Fry

• Cut Karela into 3-inch pieces and then make a vertical slit into each to open the piece of Karela.
• Stuff about ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in each piece and line them up in a medium-sized pan.

• Add 4 to 6 cups of water to the pan or until the Karela pieces are just submerged under water.
• Place the pan on the stovetop and cook in high heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Lower the heat and cook for additional 5 mins. Turn the heat off. Drain out all the water.
• Run cold water over the Karela. Squeeze out excess water from each piece of Karela by firmly pressing each piece between the palm of your hands. Remove and discard big seeds that will be the middle portion pieces

• To a small bowl add jaggery and tamarind paste. Mix well.
• Dip the Karela piece one at a time coating them with the tamarind jaggery paste and keep them aside.
• Next add besan, rice flour, turmeric, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, garam masala, ground peanuts, and cilantro to a bowl. Mix well.
• Dip each piece of the Karela in the dry mixture, pressing down to coat both sides with the dry spice mix.
• Heat oil in a medium nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Line up 7 to 8 pieces of Karela in the pan and gently press down.

• Cook for 3 to 4 minutes and then flip them over and cook the other side for additional 4 to 5 minutes.
• Garnish with more cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with hot Roti and Raita.

How to Serve Masala Karela Fry

Serve Masala Karela Fry with hot Roti or Parathas. For a gluten-free meal serve with Jowar Roti, Bajra Roti, or with Dal and Rice.

Storing

Masala Karela Fry is a great make-ahead dish as it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat either microwave or use a stovetop pan.

More Indian Recipes

• Cabbage Stir Fry
• Tindora Fry
• Bharwa Bhindi
• Bhindi Masala