Kurkura Karela - Crispy Fried Bitter Gourd

I don’t think bitter gourd (aka bitter melon) has many fans.  I used to hate it.  If I heard mom say she made “karele ki sabzi” (bitter gourd fry) I used to go “ewwww”.  And one among the million differences my husband & I have is he loves bitter gourd sabzi.  So around mid of last year I tried making it first time.  Even after rubbing it in salt it was so disgustingly bitter that I swore I’d never make it again.  But then you know, when your husband really likes something, you just feel like giving it another try.

Kukura Karela - fried bitter gourds & onions, rubbed with a salty-spicy-tangy masala mixture

So after he excitedly bought some home few weeks back, I half-heartedly began to peel them.  The first thing that crossed my mind when I saw the bitter gourd was how creepily it resembled the rat that stole my plum!!!

With that shape, body & tail, don't you think it has an uncanny resemblance to the rat!?! :)

“Ugh,” I went, still feeling the goose bumps, and continued to cook.  And after I tried one tiny bite of the sabji at dinner, I made it again the next day.  That’s how much I actually, really, seriously and surprisingly liked this Kurkure Karele ki sabzi (Crispy Fried Bitter Gourd).

The masala that adds life to the karela

Kurkura Karela Recipe

What you'll need:

2 cup bitter gourd (karela), peeled and thinly sliced

2 Tbsp cashew nuts (kaju), roughly chopped

2 Tbsp raisins (kishmish)

1 cup onion (pyaaz), thinly sliced

2 tsp red chili (lal mirch) powder

2 tsp cumin seed (jeera) powder

1 tsp dry mango (amchoor) powder

1 tsp fennel seed (saunf) powder

1 tsp chaat masala

Salt & powdered sugar to taste [I used ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar]

Oil for deep frying

Let's Begin!

1.  Toss the sliced bitter gourd with 1 Tbsp salt & keep them aside for 15-20 minutes.  Then gently squeeze them to remove the bitter juice.  Keep aside until use.

2.  Heat oil in a pan; lightly fry the cashew nuts & raisins until golden brown, spread on one side of absorbent paper.

3.  Then individually (separately) fry onion slices & squeezed bitter gourd slices until golden brown & crispy.  You can choose not to make it too crispy if you don’t like it.  Drain & spread on paper towel/absorbent paper/newspaper to remove excess oil.

4.  Mix the 5 dry powdered spices along with salt & powdered sugar.  Add the 3 fried items to this and rub them well between fingers (or toss).  Done.  Kurkura Karela is ready to eat with roti or rice.  Doesn’t need to be reheated.

Notes:

-  The nuts & raisins are optional; I liked the sweet raisins in between & crunchy cashews.  In fact, you can even add crispy fried okra to this recipe along with onions & bitter gourd!

-  It is very important to rub bitter gourd slices with salt well and squeeze out the juice; you don’t want to be punishing yourself later :D

This Kurkure Karele ki subzi can be stored in an air-tight container for 7-8 days.  That’s why makes a good sabji to take for travel. 

This recipe changed the way I used to look at bitter gourd.  Which vegetable changed your perception and how?

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