This simple karela fry is prepared with minimum masalas.
Ingredients:
Tender karela/ Bitter gourd – 250 Gms,( washed, skin lightly scraped,made a slit on one side, little salt rubbed over them and allowed to marinate for 1/2hr ),
Salt,
Oil – to shallow fry,
For masala:
Red chilli powder – 1Tsp,
Haldi – 2 pinch,
Dhania powder – 1 Tablesp,
Peeled and crushed garlic – 3 cloves,
Jeera powder- 1/2 TSP,
Amchur powder – 2 pinch/ few drops of lime juice,
Fried channa dal powder – 1 Tablesp,
Method:
1).Mix all masala powders in a bowl along with little salt and a tablesp of oil.
2).Gently press out the karelas to remove little water ( will release some water as salt is smeared on them).Fill karelas with the stuffing.(you can secure them with a thread ).
3).Heat oil and arrange the karalas with out overlapping and fry slowly under low flame with a lid. Keep some water on the lid. After one side is browned turn other side and fry till they are completely browned. Sprinkle remaining masala powder on browned vegetable and fry for few seconds.
4).Serve as side dish for rice preparations.
Tip,
a).Check out my kitchen tips as how to remove bitterness from karalas. I always prefer to have little bitterness in a karela dish.
b).You can cut short cooking process by keeping the karala in microwave oven at microhigh for 3 to 4 minutes before starting frying in oil.You can minimise the oil also.
c).Best side dish for diabetics.