Kakarakaya gujju koora (in telugu)/Karela curry/Bitter gourd curry

Ingredients:

Karela – 250Gms

Onion – 2,Medium,chopped fine

Red chilli powder – 1TSP

Jeera – 1/4 Tsp

Peeled and crushed garlic – 8 cloves

Haldi – 1/4Tsp

Chana dal – 1Tablsp

Urad dal – 1Tsp

Salt

Red chillies – 2,broken into pieces

Thick tamarind paste – 1Tablesp (mixed with 30 ml of water)

Jaggary powder – 1Tablesp

Oil – 3Tablesp

Mustard seeds – 1/2Tsp

Peanuts – 2Tablesp,fried and skin removed

curry leaves – 8 to 10

Method:

1).Wash,lightly scrape the karelas and cut them into small pieces.Sprinkle salt and mix thoroughly with hands.Keep it aside for 1/2 hr

2).Heat oil add mustard seeds,red chillies,dals,jeera and curry leaves.Fry till seeds splutter and dals turn light brown.

3).Add onions and fry till they become soft.Sqeeze out the water from karela pieces and add them to fried onions.

4).Add chilli powder,haldi and crushed garlic.Cook covered till karala becomes tender.

5).Add tamarind water and jaggary. If necessary add little salt .Cook covered for 2 to 3 min .Remove from fire when the tamarind and jaggary are completely blended with the karela pieces.

6).Add chopped coriander and mix well.

7).Serve this curry with plain rice/Any roti preparation.

Tip:

As we remove the fluid from salty karelas, most of the bitterness will disappear.