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Indian Cooking Recipe : How to Make Karela (Bitter Melon)

Ingredients for the Recipe

• 4 karela, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• ½ inch ginger, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 3 tsp canola oil
• 2 tsp besan

Spices :

• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 4 tsp salt to taste
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ¼ tsp haldi powder
• 1 tsp amchur
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• hing

Recipe (How to Make):

1. Wash kerala thoroughly with water.
2. If keralas are of longer variety, cut them into pieces of 3 inch size.
3. Remove skin of all the pieces by scraping with a sharp knife.
4. Keep the skin aside. Slit the karelas length wise. Remove the seeds.
5. Discard the seeds if very hard, otherwise mix them with the skin scrape.
6. Take 1 tsp salt and apply it thoroughly to all the pieces of karelas.
7. Keep aside for about 1 hour. Mix 1 tsp salt to karela skin and keep aside for 1 hour.
8. Heat a non-sticking frying pan and add 2 tsp oil.
9. When the oil becomes hot, put cumin seeds and hing.
10. When the seeds become dark, put onion, green chilli, ginger and garlic.
11. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and add all the spices and besan.
12. Stir well and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture turns light brown.
13. Mix half the coriander leaves. Take the karela skin in a sieve and wash thoroughly with water.
14. Add it to the washed skin scrape above mixture and stir.
15. Wash the karelas with water. Fill the above mixture in each karela.
16. Heat a non sticking frying pan and spray oil.
17. Place all the karelas in the pan, cover with a lid and reduce the stove to low.
18. Allow them to cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
19. Change the side of karelas and again cover with the lid.
20. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle coriander leaves.