A few weeks ago, while taking random pictures for my blog, I spotted a bright mustard-coloured flower that caught my eye. The colour was so attractive that even the bees were constantly hovering around it for pollen. When I asked the local gardener about it, he told me it’s a Bitter Melon/Bitter Gourd (Karela) flower. The yellow ones are female and the male flowers are deep orange. Whether it’s a melon or a gourd, it doesn’t matter when you’re going to cook it and turn it into a delicious Sabzi. This African fruit has become popular across Asia and is particularly consumed in large quantities in India. The colour of the flower was so enchanting that it stayed in my memory until lunchtime, and I decided to experiment with a new variation of Bitter Gourd by stuffing it with aromatic spices and cooking it in a thick gravy. Apart from being abundant in vitamins and minerals, Bitter Gourd is also believed to have medicinal value. The young shoots and leaves can also be cooked and eaten. However, in this recipe, let’s focus on the fruit and see how to transform it into a culinary delicacy.
Prep Time – 20 minutes
Cook Time – 30 minutes
Total time – 50 minutes
Serves – 3
Ingredients:
Bitter Gourd ( Karela ) – 200 gms
For the stuffing :
Onion – ½ small size ( finely chopped )
Coriander leaves – 1 small sprig ( finely chopped )
Dry coconut ( desiccated ) – 2 tbsp
Honey – 1 tbsp
Chaat masala – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt – a pinch
For the masala :
Onion – 30 gm
Green Chilli – 3 to 4 pcs
Ginger- Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
Whole black pepper – a few
Red Chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala – a pinch
Powdered Jaggery – 1 tbsp
Cooking Oil – 30 ml
Salt – to taste
Instructions :
1 ) Wash the gourd in chilled water. This shall help in warding off excess bitterness. Cut
lengthwise till the edge, leaving a bit of space so that the gourd doesn’t break into two pieces.
Scoop the seeds and set them aside.
2 ) Heat a bit of oil in a pan and saute the chopped onion, coconut and coriander leaves.
Remove from flame. Let it cool a bit, add honey, chaat masala, red chilli powder and salt. Stuff
this mixture in the gourd and set aside.
3 ) Grind Onion, green chilli, coriander seeds and black pepper together. Heat oil in a pan.
Roast the ground paste till dark brown and oil oozes out. Add the spices, salt and powdered
jaggery, and saute a bit. Place the bitter gourd on top. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook on a
slow fire till the gourd pales in colour and becomes soft. Once done, remove from flame and
serve with Roti / Paratha.
P. S – Honey and Jaggery are used to balance the bitterness of the gourd. One can cook even
without the said ingredients. Alternatives such as Peanut & Curd or a few tablespoons of Beetroot Juice can be used.
