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Bharwa Karela - Punjabi Karela Recipe

Karela cooked in Punjabi style bharwa karela. There are many variations stuffings for the karela recipe. In this north Indian style Karela recipe I have made Bharwa karela with fried onion and spices stuffing. 
4.67 from 3 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian, indian cuisine, punjabi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Author: Rekha Kakkar

Ingredients

  • 300 g karela bitter gourd/chinese melons
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • salt as per taste
  • 2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 Tsp black pepper powder
  • 1 teaspoon amchur powder
  • 1 teaspoon fennel powder/saunf powder
  • 3 medium sized onions finely sliced
  • 2-3 green chilli chopped
  • 3 tablespoon Oil

Instructions

  • Scrape off the peels from karela with the help of small knife.
  • Make a vertical slit in each karela and discard the seeds if they are big or overripe.
  • Sprinkle salt over all karela and rub them nicely with the salt.
  • Keep them aside for 2-3 hours and wash off the salt. Dry them with kitchen napkin.
  • While karela are put aside with salt you can prepare the onion stuffing for karela.
  • Heat one tablespoon oil in a pan and add green chilli along with sliced onions.
  • Cook the onions on slow heat till they are well cooked and soft but not browned.
  • Add all spice powdered , mix and remove from heat.
  • Now take the karela and stuff the onion stuffing as shown in the video above.
  • Tie them with a thread and prepare all karelas like that.
  • Now heat rest of the oil in a pan and fry the karelas from all side on medium low heat.
  • Covers them in between. When Karla’s are soft and slightly charred from all side and switch off the heat.
  • Serve them with chapati, paratha or rice.