Stuffed Bitter gourd / Bharwan Karela

Stuffed Bitter gourd is a tasty healthy side dish. Many a people hate Karela due to its bitterness but one of the favourites for myself and my son. We love to have bitter gourd in various dishes but my hubby prefer only this stuffed version.

Basically anyone who do not like karela may also enjoy this stuffed version with chapathi or rice.

Ingredients

• 6 Bitter gourd peeled and vertically slit
• 2 large onions finely chopped
• 1 inch ginger finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Spice powders

• 0.25 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 0.75 tsp chilli powder

Seasoning Ingredients

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Preparation

1.  Wash the bitter gourds and slightly scrape the skin. Make a vertical slit of 2 inch on one side and remove the seeds gently.
2.  Soak the bitter gourds in salted water for 30 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.
3.  Steam the bitter gourds in an idli pan for 5 minutes until they are half cooked.

Method

1.  Heat 1 tbsp oil. Add cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds splutter, add finely chopped onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
2.  Add finely chopped ginger and garlic. Saute till the raw smell of garlic goes away.
3.  Add all the spice powders and salt to taste. Saute for 3 minutes.
4.  Remove from the flame and let it cool.
5.  Stuff the steamed bitter gourds with the prepared masala.
6.  Close it with a tooth pick.
7.  Heat 2 tbsp of oil and fry the stuffed bitter gourds on low flame, tossing them in between, so that all the sides are well cooked and browned evenly.

8.  Enjoy them with phulkas/rice and dal.

Notes

1.   Soaking the bitter gourds in salt water reduce the bitterness.
2.   Steaming the bitter gourds in idli pan help in reducing the usage of oil for frying making it more healthy.