KARELA ANDHRA STYLE

KARELA ANDHRA STYLE

Karela or bitter gourd is one of those vegetables which I find often that people either hate or love. There seems to be no middle path as far as this vegetable goes! In spite of it having many benefits for health. In our family we have generally liked all kinds of vegetables and in my experience, no vegetable by itself is bad. It all depends on how it is cooked!

If someone you know doesn't like karela, why don't you try this dish adapted from Karela Andhra Style by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor.  You may be surprised to find that they will change their mind....

Bitter Gourd cooked in the Andhra style.

Ingredients: 

Bitter Gourd (Karela),  medium- sized, 4-5

Byadgi Red Chilli, 4

Coriander seeds, 1 tbsp

Sesame seeds (Til), 1 tsp

Cumin seeds, 1 tsp 

Onions, medium-sized, 2

Garlic Cloves, 5

Ginger, 1"

Tomato Puree, 1/4 cup

Jaggery, grated, 2 tbsp

Tamarind pulp, 2 tbsp

Salt, to taste

Oil, 1 1/2 tsp

Method:  

Wash and cut the bitter gourd (Karela) in half, lengthwise.

De-seed and thinly slice the bitter gourd. Apply salt and keep aside for about 20 minutes.

Now squeeze out the excess water from the bitter gourds

Peel and chop the onions, chop the ginger, and peel the garlic

Make a fine paste of the garlic and ginger

In a kadhai, roast separately the dried red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and sesame seeds on medium flame, stirring continuously, till they turn a light brown in colour

Allow it to cool and in a small mixer jar grind it to a fine powder. Keep aside.

Heat oil in the kadhai and when it gets hot add the sliced bitter gourd and saute for about 5 minutes or till it turns slightly brown

Add the chopped onions and stir fry for 3-4 minutes

Add the ginger garlic paste and stir for 1-2 minutes till the raw smell goes

Add the tomato puree and cook for another 2-3 minutes

Now add the ground powder which you have prepared earlier, grated jaggery, tamarind pulp, and salt to taste. Remember that some salt has already been applied to the bitter gourd earlier

Mix well, add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil

Lower the flame, cover the dish and let it simmer for about 5 minutes

Transfer to serving bowl and serve as a side dish along with the main meal