5 karela recipes to try for weeknight dinners
Packed with potassium, vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and other nutrients, karela or bitter gourd is great for your overall health. This healthy vegetable is mostly cultivated across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean islands. Low in calories and fat, karela is extremely effective for weight loss. It also aids digestion and treats cough and flu. Here are five delicious karela recipes you need to try.
Stuffed karela with cheese
For the filling, saute onion, broccoli, and bell pepper in oil. Add salt, chopped tomato, cinnamon powder, basil leaves, brown sugar, red chili flakes, balsamic vinegar, and clove powder, and cook well. Mix besan, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, and corn flour. Stuff salt-sprinkled karela halves with the filling and grated cheese. Roll the karelas in the besan mix and pan-fry.
Karele ka achaar
Slit the karela, sprinkle salt over them, and keep aside for three-four hours. Squeeze the karela to eliminate the discarded juices, wash, and squeeze again. Mix turmeric, dried ginger powder, chili powder, roasted and powdered ajwain, fennel seed powder, and lemon juice. Stuff the filling into the karelas and seal them. Place them into a jar, add lemon juice, and sun-dry for three-four days.
Karela bhurji
Mix chopped bitter gourd with salt and keep aside for five-10 minutes. Saute cumin seeds and asafoetida in oil. Add onions, ginger-garlic paste, and green chili, and saute again. Add the grated bitter gourd and cook for five-six minutes. Add tomatoes, coriander powder, red chili powder, and salt, and cook again. Add lemon juice, garnish with coriander leaves, and serve hot with paratha.
Amchoori karela
Wash the karela and slit them. Discard the seeds and thinly slice them. Transfer them to a bowl along with red chili, salt, and turmeric, and mix well. Keep aside for 30 minutes. Fry onions and bitter gourd in oil. Add carom seeds, ginger, asafoetida, amchoor powder, red chili, black pepper, onions, lemon juice, fenugreek powder, and fennel powder, and cook well. Serve hot.
Dahi karela
Wash, scrape, and cut the karela into round slices. Rub salt over the karelas and keep them aside. Shallow fry bitter gourd in oil and keep aside. Saute onion, tomato, coriander powder, salt, garam masala powder, red chili powder, and turmeric in oil. Add beaten yogurt along with fried karela and cook well for 10 minutes. Serve hot with paratha or roti.
