BHArela Karela – Stuffed Bitter Gourd

Bharela Karela is what we call this at home. Just because it sounds nice 🙂 . Bharela karela is stuffed bitter gourd which is a super yum accompaniment to Dal and roti or rice. This spicy, deep fried karela is a simple dish to make and it is made using the small bitter gourds. You can still use the normal ones. I always get the smallest ones. They are about 2″ in length. Bharela Karela is my husband’s favourite Punjabi dish. Mine I guess is Rajma chawal served with Kachri.

I do not like writing too much as you must have noticed by now and hence when I take pictures I try to make a conversation through them. I would love to do recipe just through pictures and no words at all. Please excuse me for the number of picts in my posts. 

Ingredients
5 nos – Karela / Bittergourd
1 no – Small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp – Haldi / Turmeric
1 tsp – Red chilli powder
1 tsp – Jeera/ Cummin seeds
1 tsp – Salt
1 tsp – Dhaniya powder/ coriander
powder
1 tbsp – Mango pickle
Cotton thread to tie and secure the gourds
Oil for deep frying

Preparation

Slit open the karela and remove the seeds.

If you like the bitterness of the karela then just wash off the karela in and out and leave it on a kitchen towel to air dry.

If you do not like the bitterness then after slitting the karela rub it, in and out with salt and  turmeric and let it sit for half an hour.

After half an hour wash them thoroughly and air dry it for 1/2 an hour.

Method

In a bowl mix haldi, red chillie powder, jeera, dhaniya powder, pickle, onion and salt.

Mix this well.

Fill the dried karelas with this filling.

Using a cotton thread wrap the karela well and secure it by closing the slit.

Heat oil in a kadhai. Once the oil is hot, drop the karela carefully into them.

Fry the karelas till they turn dark brown.

Remove it and place it on tissue paper to remove the excess oil.

Fry them again just before serving.

Serve it with rice or roti, mixed dal fry and all that will be left in the plate will be ………..