Topic started by AJ (@ cache-df03.proxy.aol.com) on Thu Apr 3 12:03:02 .
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I love bitter gourd (karela). ...can anyone teach me how to make tasty curries with that? whatever I try, it turns out very bitter....and not so good in taste.
thanks

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Suhera Farook (@ ac1.emirates.net.ae) on: Tue Sep 2 03:56:33 EDT 2003
  
  Please try these collections from web:
  
  Karela Chutney
  
  cut 1 medium size karela into thin strips and boil with little water and salt. cool.
  dry roast 2 tbsp of urad dhal & 2 tsp of methi
  1 tsp mustard seeds
  5 /6 red long chillies
  do not burn these . roast each item seperate.
  
  grind all the roasted items along with karela .do not use much water. let the chutney be thick. add only the water in which u boiled karela.if you dont want bitter taste throw the water.
  while grinding add a small lemon size tamrind,2 flakes garlic and jaggrey depending on how much sweetness u need.
  season this chutney with 1 tbsp oil , curry leaves,1 broken red chilli and mustard
  
  
  Karela Fry
  
  mix equal amount of rava and rawa rice . to this add chilli powder, a pinch of termeric and salt.mix all these together. do not asdd water.
  cut karela in rounds. do not remove the seeds.
  and do not make the slices very thick.
  roll the karela in the rice mixture and deep fry in oil
  
  
  Karela Pakkoda.
  
  
  First cut 4 or 5 Karela into thin slices - Not too thick or not too thin.
  Put them in a bowl.
  Add 1/4 cup channa dhal flour, 2 tsp rice flour, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp salt. Add more or lesser than that to suit your taste.
  Mix everything so that the karela slices are coated with the spicy flour.
  Do not add water. In the beginning, it will be very dry. But after 30 minutes, the water from the karela will help them to be evenly coated.
  Keep mixing the karela every 10 minutes.
  After 30 minutes,heat oil in a pan and fry the karela slices.
  It will not take lot of oil and the bitter taste is very much reduced. Further, since it is fried everyone will love it.
  
  
  Easy Karela Fry Recipe.
  
  we eat with combination of rice, and any dal,best with mango dal i.e. mamidikai pappu.
  the main thing to be noted about karela is we should use ingredient dominat to take bitterness from karela. those r salt,garlic,chilli powder.
  
  First peel the outer layer of the kakarakai,
  dn't peel completely, just slightly.
  Cut that into round peices.
  Apply some salt as per ur taste and sufficient
  for that, mix it well and keep aside for minimum 1 hour.
  After 1 hr, take the karela peices and squeeze it hardly ,so that all the salt water comes bcoz of letting it stay for 1 hr.
  
  Put oil in pan, after heating of oil add these
  squeezed karela in that oil.
  Let it done ,cover lid over it.
  After that karela is done(means karela should be cooked well as eatable), add smashed garlic
  After soemtime add chilli powder and turmeric
  We won't add salt later as we first mix karela with proper salt.
  Let it be for some more 3 mts on stove afetr that put off.
  
  North Indian Karela Fry
  
  Make a vertical slit in karela and remove the seeds inside.
  Make a paste of cilly powder,coriander powder,turmeric,ground onion,amchur or little yogurt,salt and make a stuffing inside karela.keep for one hour. then fry in oil...its very good with chapathi or rice.
  when frying, if u find filligs coming out,u can tie it with a small thread and then fry and take it out after frying.
  
  Karela Poriyal
  
  Cut to very small pieces. mix with grated coconut, onion and green chilly and cook with little water.As u make any other "thoran"...
  
  
  Koftas of Karela
  
  Set 1
  400g kakarakayalu (frozen, and cut in a round circles)
  a pinch salt
  ½ tsp turmeric
  ½ tsp chilli powder
  3 tsp oil
  
  Set 2
  5 No. Garlic gloves (peeled and cut in half)
  3 tsp desiccated coconut
  
  Set 3
  3 tsp oil
  1 tsp mustard seeds
  few curry leaves
  ½ tsp turmeric
  1 tsp chilli powder
  1 tsp sambhar powder
  
  Cooking Procedure:
  
  1) First wash karela and squeeze out the water from it and keep aside in a plate. to that add remaining ingredients from set1 except oil. 2) In a pestle smash garlic in to smooth paste and add coconut and again smash a little.keep aside. 3)first take a flat nonstick kadhai,heat oil add karela marination and fry until it is well fried and keep aside. 4) Add remaining oil from set3 when it is hot add mustard seeds, after it has stopped poping add curry leaves and after that garlic and coconut mixture. chilli powder, turmeric, sambhar masala, salt to taste and fry. add karela pieces from point3 and fry again until well cooked and take off from heat
  
  Kerala Karela Puli Curry
  
  "Pavakkaai PuLi" or "Kaypakka-PuLi" is a curry which can be mixed with cooked rice and eaten. For this the unseeded bitter-goard is cut into small pieces and sauted with equal amount of chopped onions in little oil in a kadaai. The edges of the karela should become slightly black. the onions should become pink sauted. Lower the heat and add turmeric powder half-teaspoon, roasted red-chilli powder two teaspoons and roasted coriander powder two teaspoons. Add enough water and cook. When the karela become soft add a little ground-coconut (about say three spoons) and cook in slow fire. Add to this tamarind-puree or thick tamarind juice and slow cook for sometime. Some people who cannot stand, too bitter bitter-goards add a little powdered jaggery to this curry. At last season with musturd seeds spluttered in oil and curry leaves added.
  
  Karela Vaththal
  
  Cut into small thin pieces(preferably round),
  Mix 1 tsp chilli powder,1/2 tsp turmeric,1 tsp salt
  Rub the karela pieces.keep aside for half hour or more.
  Deep fry the karela till crisp and store in airtight containers.
  
  Dry the karela with masala in the sun,and when it is crispy dry,u can fry it.
  
  
  
  
• From: D (@ bridgeport.cuc.com) on: Wed Sep 3 14:57:38 EDT 2003
  
  Paavakkai pitlai
  ----------------
  This is a South Indian dish that can be eaten with rice (just like Sambar)
  
  Ingredients:
  1 medium sized Karela (Bitter gourd)
  Curry leaves - a few
  Tamarind - 1 lemon sized
  Toor dal - 1/2 cup
  Coconut - 1/2 cup
  Coriander seeds - 1.5 tbsp
  Cumin seeds - .5 tbsp
  Urad dal - .5 tsp
  Chana dal - .5 tsp
  Dried red chillies - 4
  Fenugreek seeds (methi) = .25 tsp
  Asafoetida (Perungayam, hing) - a pinch
  Gingelly oil (Til oil) - 2 tsp
  Mustard - .5 tsp
  Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
  
  Pressure cook toor dal with little turmeric.
  Soak tamarind in warm water (about 1 glass) and extract juice. Discard pulp.
  Dry roast cumin, coriander, urad dal, chana dal, red chilies and fenugreek seeds
  Dry roast coconut separately.
  Powder roasted coconut with the other ingredients that are dry roasted.
  Deseed bitter gourd and chop into .5 inch cubes.
  Parboil in water with turmeric and little salt. Allow to cool and discard water. (My dad is diabetic and likes to drink the bittergourd broth with a little salt and pepper as he believes it does good for his blood glucose level)
  In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, pour 1 tsp of gingelly oil, let it heat up.
  Now add mustard seeds, let them pop, add fenugreek seeds, let them give out flavour, quickly add a pinch of asafoetida and slightly crushed (with hand) curry leaves.
  Add drained bitter gourd, a little salt and coat with seasoning. (I've seen people add a handful of shelled peanuts at this stage (optional))
  After about 1 minute, add tamarind juice, adjust turmeric and salt level and let it boil away until the raw smell of tamarind disappears.
  Now, add the dry pitlai powder containing roasted coconut.
  After a minute, add mashed toor dal. Add water to make up sambar consistency.
  Let this cook for a couple of minutes until the dal froths.
  Temper with mustard seeds and asafoetida in til oil.
  
  Keep closed.
  
  Serve with hot steamed rice and roasted papad after 1/2 hour.
  
  
• From: uma (@ cache-mtc-ah06.proxy.aol.com) on: Tue Sep 9 15:11:49 EDT 2003
  
  hi
  
  If Bittergourd is boiled along with a little buttermilk . The bitterness will be reduced. The boiled pieces can be used as per any of the above recipes.
  
  I normally do as below.
  Cut them in any desired shape .Boil them in water with little buttermilk.when cooked removed and squeez out them. Mash garlic with fennel seed(sauf). add it along with chili powder and salt to the karelas .coat them even and swallow fry them . The aroma of garlic and fennel seeds is too good and with the bitterness reduced ,This dish tastes good .
  
  
• From: uma (@ cache-mtc-ah06.proxy.aol.com) on: Tue Sep 9 15:12:04 EDT 2003
  
  hi
  
  If Bittergourd is boiled along with a little buttermilk . The bitterness will be reduced. The boiled pieces can be used as per any of the above recipes.
  
  I normally do as below.
  Cut them in any desired shape .Boil them in water with little buttermilk.when cooked removed and squeez out them. Mash garlic with fennel seed(sauf). add it along with chili powder and salt to the karelas .coat them even and swallow fry them . The aroma of garlic and fennel seeds is too good and with the bitterness reduced ,This dish tastes good .
  
  
• From: Vinita (@ adsl-68-120-154-1.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net) on: Fri Jun 25 17:26:05
  
  I have two nice recipes for Karela .. Try it and let me know how u like it.
  
  Karela-4 medium sized tender karelas.
  Onion - 1 medium chopped
  Garlic- 3 flakes chopped finely
  Ginger - 1/2" finely chopped
  Chilli green - 2-3 finely chopped
  Tomatoes -2 medium sized sliced
  
  Dry spices:
  Amchur powder - 1 tbsp
  Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp(more if u like it spicy
  Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
  Cumin seeds(Jeera)- 1/2 tsp
  Salt to taste
  
  Oil for frying - 2 tbsp
  Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped (for garnishing)
  
  First peel the karelas and wash them in hot water then cut the karelas into thin circles. Let little moisture remain and then put them in a bowl sprinkle a little salt and cook it in the microwave for 3-4 mins. Dont cover the bowl. Once it is done keep it aside.
  Take oil in a kadai and add cumin seeds. Once it splutters add the onion, garlic, green chillies and ginger. Fry till brown. Add all the dry spices . Cook for sometime and then add the karela to it and fry for sometimes till the masala get mixed. Taste for salt as you had already sprinkled some salt while cooking it in microwave and then add some more as per taste. Add the sliced tomatoes and let it cook for sometimes. Add the coriander leaves and serve with chappatis or rice and dal.
  
  
  Karela poriyal
  8-10 karela tender ones
  2 tbsp coconut powder
  1 lemon sized imli(tamarind)soaked in water
  salt to taste
  5-6 green chillies
  2-3 red chillies
  1tsp curry powder
  a pinch of heeng
  1/2 tsp jeera, urad, chana dal, mustard seed
  2 tbsp oil
  some curry leaves
  
  Scrape and cut karelas into long slices. Cook karela in little salt water(microwave for 3-4 mins) till tender.
  
  Heat oil, add heeng,curry leaf, then add the mustard ,jeera once it splutters add urad and chana dal then add red chilli. Add the green chillies, karela , coconut and imli water. Cook on a low flame for 5-10 mins.Serve with rice
  
  
• From: Vinita (@ adsl-68-120-154-1.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net) on: Fri Jun 25 17:26:14
  
  I have two nice recipes for Karela .. Try it and let me know how u like it.
  
  Karela-4 medium sized tender karelas.
  Onion - 1 medium chopped
  Garlic- 3 flakes chopped finely
  Ginger - 1/2" finely chopped
  Chilli green - 2-3 finely chopped
  Tomatoes -2 medium sized sliced
  
  Dry spices:
  Amchur powder - 1 tbsp
  Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp(more if u like it spicy
  Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
  Cumin seeds(Jeera)- 1/2 tsp
  Salt to taste
  
  Oil for frying - 2 tbsp
  Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped (for garnishing)
  
  First peel the karelas and wash them in hot water then cut the karelas into thin circles. Let little moisture remain and then put them in a bowl sprinkle a little salt and cook it in the microwave for 3-4 mins. Dont cover the bowl. Once it is done keep it aside.
  Take oil in a kadai and add cumin seeds. Once it splutters add the onion, garlic, green chillies and ginger. Fry till brown. Add all the dry spices . Cook for sometime and then add the karela to it and fry for sometimes till the masala get mixed. Taste for salt as you had already sprinkled some salt while cooking it in microwave and then add some more as per taste. Add the sliced tomatoes and let it cook for sometimes. Add the coriander leaves and serve with chappatis or rice and dal.
  
  
  Karela poriyal
  8-10 karela tender ones
  2 tbsp coconut powder
  1 lemon sized imli(tamarind)soaked in water
  salt to taste
  5-6 green chillies
  2-3 red chillies
  1tsp curry powder
  a pinch of heeng
  1/2 tsp jeera, urad, chana dal, mustard seed
  2 tbsp oil
  some curry leaves
  
  Scrape and cut karelas into long slices. Cook karela in little salt water(microwave for 3-4 mins) till tender.
  
  Heat oil, add heeng,curry leaf, then add the mustard ,jeera once it splutters add urad and chana dal then add red chilli. Add the green chillies, karela , coconut and imli water. Cook on a low flame for 5-10 mins.Serve with rice
  
  

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