Bharwa Karela
A delicious stuffed bitter gourd recipe popular in North India. Bitter melon is stuffed with caramelized sweet onions and aromatic spices to make this fantastic vegan and gluten-free side dish.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 500 grams Bitter melon (Karela) about 12-14
- 2 teaspoon Salt to rub and remove bitterness, divided
- 4 tablespoon Mustard oil or other vegetable oil, for frying
- Cilantro to garnish
For Stuffing
- 1 tablespoon Mustard oil or any vegetable oil
- 1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing)
- 2 1/2 cup Onions finely diced
- 1 inch Ginger grated
- 7 cloves Garlic diced
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
- 2 teaspoon Fennel powder
- 2 teaspoon Dry Mango powder (Amchur) or tamarind paste or grated raw mango
Instructions
Preparing karela
- Wash karela and then using a knife or peeler, scrape the outer skin. Save the skin, as we will use it for the stuffing.
- Make a slit in the karela lengthwise. Do not split in half. Now remove any large hard seeds using a spoon (you can use your fingers, but it can be harder).
- Apply salt thoroughly on the inside and outside of all the karela and keep aside for at least 30 minutes. This helps to reduce the bitterness.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the scrapings, mix well and kept aside. Let them rest for 30 minutes. (Note: using the scrapings is optional, but I like to use them in the stuffing)
- Now wash karela with fresh water two to three times and squeeze them thoroughly to remove the salt and bitterness.
- Wash the scrapings with fresh water two times and squeeze any excess liquid.
Make the stuffing:
- Heat a pan on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to it, and let it heat. If using mustard oil, heat the oil till it smokes.
- Now add asafoetida and scrapings (also called bhor) to the pan. Cook for about 7-8 minutes on medium heat until the color changes to dark green.
- Add the onions, ginger and garlic to the pan. Give it a good stir. Cook covered for about 3 minutes to soften the onions. Then cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes till the onions are lightly golden.
- Add all the spices - salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel powder and amchur. Mix well and cook for a minute. Then turn off heat.
- Now the stuffing is ready. Let it cool a bit, so you can stuff it in the karelas.
Stuff the Karela
- Using a spoon and your fingers, stuff each karela with the filling. Tie the karelas with a string. This is helpful so the filling does not fall out. If you plan to air fry, then it is okay to skip using a string.
Shallow Fry Method
- Heat a large heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Add oil to it, and let it heat. If using mustard oil, heat the oil till it smokes.
- Place the stuffed karela in the pan in a single layer. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn and cook till they brown on all sides. You can cover with a lid for faster cooking.
- Once cooked, remove karela on a plate lined with paper towel. Remove the thread. Serve them as a side dish with roti and dal for a wonderful meal.
Air Fryer Method
- Place the stuffed karela in the air fryer basket. Spray or brush with a little oil. Air fryer at 360°F / 180°C for about 15 minutes. Turn in between at about 9 minutes.
Video
Notes
- If you want to make bharwa karela quickly and are in a hurry, boil the karela for a few minutes in water with salt and a little sugar. Then squeeze out the excess water, stuff, and shallow fry until done.
- For stuffing karelas, always use a small, dark green bitter gourd with thin skin.
- Make sure the filling is thick, and if you are shallow frying, using a thread to seal each karela is very helpful.
Nutrition
Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1475mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 115mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg