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Crisp Fried Karela : Bitter Gourd or Chinease Melon

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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: punjabi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Author: Rekha Kakkar

Ingredients

  • 8 - 10 pc Bitter Gourd melon /Chinese
  • 2 tablespoon Mustard oil
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon Fennel saunf / powder
  • ½ teaspoon Coriander seed powder ( dhania powder)
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder

Instructions

  • Wash and peel bitter gourds by scraping the peel from it.
  • Cut them into two half’s and apply ½ teaspoon of salt over them, let them stay for an hour or two. Applying salt helps to cut out the bitterness.
  • After an hour or two, wash them and pat them dry on the kitchen towel, this step ensures crispiness when you cook them.
  • In a thick bottomed pan heat mustard oil to the point of smokiness, lower the heat and tip in bitter gourds.
  • Cover with the lid for 5 minutes and remove the lid to let it cook in open , cook for 10-15 minutes so that all sides are cooked and browned evenly.
  • Add all the spices and ½ teaspoon of salt and mix well cook for another 2-3 minutes and serve hot with paratha/ chapati or a simple side to go with fried rice.

Notes

SPECIAL NOTE
When ever making Indian stir fries, I try to use unprocessed mustard oil (kacchi ghani) as its much healthier option. Though its bit strong in flavour, but if you bring it to the point of smokiness before adding any ingredients that strong flavour mallow downs. Other thing I do is to use iron karahi , a good seasoned pan makes it easier to stir fry food even with the use of very less quantity of oil.