Let Sunita Harisinghani's outstandingly yummy recipe for Stuffed Karela or Bitter Gourd change your notions of this vegetable and instantly cancel your membership to the I-Hate-Bitter-Gourd Club.
She stuffs the little gourds, that have been stripped of their bitterness, with a roasted mixture of peanuts, imli, coconut, spices making for a piquant but mildly sweet preparation with a lot of depth of taste. It is a vegetable to remember.
From Sunita's kitchen a solid variety of dishes emerge. Monday it could Mangalore-style pumpkin roti. Tuesday perhaps typical north Indian Doodhi Kofta. Wednesday might bring prawns nestled in succulent Malabar spinach leaves... All healthy fare using minimum oil, such is her culinary magic.
Stuffed Karela
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
- 250-300 gm karela or bitter gourd
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- Handful fresh green dhania or coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp brown dhania or coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp jeera or cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp sonf or fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp til or sesame seeds
- 5 dried red chillies
- 2 tbsp haldi or turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp grated fresh coconut
- 3 tbsp peanuts
- 2 tbsp tamarind pulp
- 2 pinches hing or asafoetida
- 1 tsp jaggery powder
- Salt to taste, about 1 tsp
- Oil for pan frying both the masalas and the stuffed bitter gourd
Method
- Wash the bitter gourd.
Scrape the outer and inner portions along with the seeds and keep aside.
Marinate the bitter gourd with the salt, 1-2 tsp turmeric powder and keep aside for about an hour.
Marinate the scraped portion and the seeds of the bitter gourd separately with also salt and 1-2 tsp turmeric powder. - Squeeze the excess water from the bitter gourd and steam for about 10-15 minutes.
Keep aside. - In a frying pan or a tawa, dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, peanuts, coconut, dry red chillies till fragrant and mildly browned.
Cool down and grind in mixer/blender into a semi coarse powder.
Keep aside. - In a kadhai or a saucepan, heat the oil.
Add the cumin seeds, asafoetida and add then the finely chopped onions saute till it turns transparent.
Add the tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder and scraped portions of the bitter gourd (after squeezing excess water).
Add the coarse powder along with coriander leaves, tamarind pulp, jaggery powder and mix well.
Take off heat and cool. - Fill the mixture inside the steamed bitter gourd; some will be left but keep aside.
In a kadhai or a frying pan, add 1-2 tbsp oil, fry the stuffed bitter gourd till it's brown and flip.
Keep frying till it's done from all the sides.
Add the leftover stuffing mixture and a splash of water if the mixture is too dry.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes more and take off heat. - Serve hot with roti or rice and dal.
Sunita Harisinghani lives in Navi Mumbai.
