Stuffed Karela(Bharwa karela) sabji

Ingredients

  10-12 small karelas (bittergourd / uchchhe)
  2 medium onions, finely sliced
  2-3 tbsp mustard oil

Stuffing
½ tsp mustard seeds
100 gms besan
1 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch asafoetida (hing)
 ½ tsp red chilli powder (to taste)
1 tsp salt (to taste)
 1 ½ tsp mustard oil
1 tsp Amchoor powder

Preparing the karelas

Wash the karelas, scrap the skin with a knife and cut the tips.
Very carefully make a slit cut on each of the karela on one side from start to end (be sure not to pierce the other end).
Scoop out the seeds & flesh from inside the karelas. Keep aside.
(If you don’t want the stuffed karelas to be bitter, scrap the karelas, cut a vertical slit, rub the surface & inside of the karela with salt. Squeeze water and pat dry.
Alternatively put the karelas in salted water for 15-2- mins to remove the bitterness. Squeeze water and pat dry).

Frying

Heat 3 table spoon oil in a pan and put the stuffed gourd one by one into the pan.
 Cover the pan and cook the gourd on a medium flame for 6-7 minutes.
Open the lid, flip the gourd, cover the pan again and cook it for another 5-6 minute.
 Open the lid and flip the side of the gourd from where it is not cooked.
Keep on turning the sides till the gourd is cooked from all the sides and corners till they are brown. Your Stuffed Bitter Gourd is ready.
Take out the recipe in a serving bowl.

Serve it with poori, parantha, chapati or naan. You can take Stuffed Bitter Gourd recipe and poori along with you if you heading for a journey.

If you use mustard oil, then fry the gourd in mustard oil only. It enhances the taste of the recipe.