Bharwa Karela Masala Recipe

Total Time: 70 minutes

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

  • salt
  • cumin powder (jeera)
  • coconut
  • karela (bitter gourd pavakkai)
  • jaggery
  • red chilli powder
  • cloves garlic
  • cumin seeds (jeera)
  • peanuts (moongphali)
  • tamarind paste
  • coriander powder
  • turmeric powder
  • sunflower oil

Instructions:

  • To begin making the Bharwa Karela Masala Recipe, wash karela and grate their outer surface with a knife or grater and remove seeds inside
  • Cut them 2 inches long, add salt and leave aside for 10 minutes
  • You would see that the vegetable would have given some water
  • Squeeze the excess water and wash them completely
  • Doing so will reduce bitterness to a considerate level
  • Slice the gourds half way through so as to facilitate filling inside them
  • Keep aside
  • In a saucepan, add water and bring it to a boil
  • Cook pieces of karela in boiling water just until the skin becomes tender
  • Avoid overcooking since they need to retain their shape
  • Drain the hot water and allow it to cool down enough to handle
  • Dry roast peanuts until it turns slightly brown
  • Half of it for is to be used for stuffing and the other half, for gravy
  • In a kadai, add oil and once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds
  • Fry them until they turn brownish
  • Add garlic pods and fry them until they turn brownish
  • In a mixer, add the roasted peanut, roasted coconut, garlic pods, jeera, jaggery, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and grind them coarsely
  • Do not add waterAdd a teaspoon of oil to the grounded powder and mix them wellStuff half of the spice powders inside the bitter gourd and keep the remaining half to the gravy
  • In a medium sized frying pan
  • Add remaining oil and heat them over medium heatPlace the stuffed karelas in the pan and roasted until the outer skin turns brownish
  • In another medium sized pan, add a half teaspoon of oil
  • Once the oil is hot, add the remaining masala and saute it for a few minutes
  • Add 1-1/2 cups of water and cook until the gravy thickens a little
  • Add a little more tamarind paste if you like it to be a little more sour
  • Cook with lid covered over medium flame until the gravy is reduced and grounded powders are absorbed completely
  • Adjust salt and switch off the flame
  • Pour the gravy over the karelas and serve hot
  • Serve Bharwa Karela Masala along with Dhaba Style Dal Fry, Phulka and Masala Khichia for an everyday meal