Karela

Karela is a bitter-gourd and potato dish that takes more preparation than most recipes in the section. The gourd is first salted and pressed for several hours before being rinsed and squeezed dry.

The bitter gourd and potatoes are fried separately until crisp. Onion is then cooked in the same pan before tomato, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, chili, spices, and hing form the masala.

The vegetables return to the pan for a final sauté. Gur and lemon juice balance the bitter flavor, while garam masala and cilantro are added just before serving.

Ingredients

• 4 cups bitter gourd, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 2 teaspoons salt, for sweating
• 1/2 cup good oil
• 4 cups potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups tomatoes, diced
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh green chilies, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch of hing
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons gur or brown sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, for garnish
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Method

Place the sliced bitter gourd in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt, set a plate and heavy can on top, and leave it to sweat for 4 hours. Rinse thoroughly and squeeze out the excess liquid. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the bitter gourd on both sides for 3–4 minutes until crisp; remove and set aside. Fry the potatoes until crisp and set them aside. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the onions until golden, about 5–7 minutes; remove half. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, chilies, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, hing, cayenne, and salt and cook about 7 minutes. Return the gourd, potatoes, and reserved onions and sauté another 5 minutes. Stir in the gur until dissolved, add lemon juice, then finish with garam masala and cilantro. Makes 6–8 servings.