Karela / Bitter Melon Stir Fry

Karela / Bitter Melon Stir Fry

Being a foodie I love to taste and cook variety of dishes, but at the end of the day I always crave for simple home made Sabji roti. Even as  I recollect my childhood memories, among my siblings, I was the one who was not at all a picky eater and ate whatever was served on the plate .  One such vegetable recipe is Karela or Bitter Melon stir fry and I love the way my Mum cooks it.

This is a Onion Garlic free recipe . It is basically a spicy dish , which gets slightly tangy taste due to Aamchur / Mango powder and addition of Jaggery makes it little sweet. So overall a flavorful dish.

Coming to health benefits , Bitter Gourds / melons are very low in calories but dense with precious nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, Magnesium, fol ate , Zinc, Phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fibre. It is rich in iron, contains twice the beta - carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, and twice the potassium of a banana.

Source: http://juicing-for-health.com/basic-nutrition/healing-vegetables/health-benefits-of-bitter-gourd.html

Ingredients :

• Bitter gourd / melons - 4 medium size( thinly sliced into circles)
• Red chili powder- 1tsp
• Turmeric- 1/4 tsp    
• Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida / Hing powder- 1/4 tsp
• Coriander and Cumin powder-2 tsp
• Garam Masala-1 tsp
• Aamchur powder-1/4 tsp
• Fennel seed powder/ Saunf powder- 1/2 tsp
• Salt 
• Grated Jaggery -3 tsp
• Grated Ginger- 1/2 inch
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash the Bitter melons , thinly slice into circles. and remove hard seeds . Degorge the Bitter melon by sprinkling salt over the slices and placing them in a colander to drain for 15 minutes This helps to remove the bitterness. wash the bitter gourd slices .

        2.  Heat a wok or non stick pan over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoon oil . Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle , add asafoetida , turmeric and grated ginger. saute for few seconds. .

        3.  Add the marinated Bitter gourd rings and salt and briefly stur fry. Add chili powder, cumin coriander powder, garam masala, Fennel seed powder and aamchur /Mango powder , mix well and Stir fry for another 2 - 3 minutes.

       4.  Now cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until the Bitter melon is cooked and tender.

      5. Add grated jaggery , mix well and cook for another 1 minute. Put off the flame , garnish the Karela stir fry with finely chopped fresh Coriander leaves and serve with Chapati or Rice.

     Notes:

• The amount of Red chili powder and garam masala depends on how spicy you want the stir fry to be.
• Addition of Jaggery is optional, also can replace it with sugar.
• Marinating the Bitter gourd slices in salt helps to remove bitterness .