Post my snacks recipe; I bring you my mother-in-law’s recipe of Fried Bitter Melon or Bhuna karela, which is easy to cook & good for health as well. Karela comes in many different varieties and is similar in shape to a cucumber. In the Indian grocery stores in the US, you’ll find the Indian, dark green, spiky variety, while in the Asian stores, you’ll find the lighter-green bitter melons that are larger with a bumpy peel.
This post is contributed by Garima.
Recipe for Fried Bitter Melon / Gourd (Bhuna Karela)
Benefits of this dish
- Low in calories
- Stimulates the appetite
- Cleanses the liver
- Purifies the blood
Preparation time: 10mins (20-30 mins more if you keep the sliced karela with salt)
- Cooking: 15 mins
- Servings: 2
- Ingredients
- Bitter Melon 3-4
- Onion Two Medium (sliced)
- Green Chili Two sliced
- Salt ¼ teaspoon
- Cayenne Pepper ¼ teaspoon
- Amchur ¼ teaspoon
Preparation of the Bitter Melon or Bhuna Karela
Wash the melon in running water; Peel & slice them. I advise keeping the melon & hull (Chilaka) (sprinkle salt all over) for half an hour to avoid the sour taste (it’s optional). Rinse in water & then use for cooking.
Preparation of the Vegetable:
We must mix salt, cayenne pepper & amchur and sprinkle the same on bitter melon. Post this, fry the bitter melon, hull (add the mixture of salt, cayenne pepper, and amchur while frying) & onion, and green chili separately till all turns brown. Once the same is done, mix all the ingredients & sauté for two-three minutes. It can be served with Chapatti, Parantha, as a side vegetable, or as an accompaniment with kadhi-chawal /dal rice & Raita.
I hope you followed all the instructions and the recipe to make your favorite Fried Bitter Melon / Gourd (Bhuna Karela). I suggest you make this at least once a week as it benefits your health. Even if your kids don’t love karela, they should like it with these spices.