Stuffed Karela Recipe - A Sweet tale of this bitter vegetable

Hey, 

Hope everyone is doing well and yes I am back with yet another recipe today but today I would like to talk a little about my accidental love for the vegetable, in this case, being Karela or as the westerns call it Bitter gourd.

Trust me when I say this, as a kid I did try it once and I was so put off by the taste that I had made my mind since then I would just hate this vegetable till I would be alive so you can imagine the hate I had for it but then as you grow and your taste buds develop, more you start appreciating different flavour combinations and various cuisines.

It was back in 2008 when I started working for an HR recruiting firm where I got the chance of tasting this childhood nemesis I called the Karela and after having one bite I changed my views and was just bowled over by the whole flavour and since then there has been no looking back and now I eat karela with the brightest smile on my face. 

Now coming to today's recipe, it was a learning day for me and what amazes me the most is how diverse the Indian food culture is, like every household has a different technique, a different outlook on the recipe and the best thing is that it never disappoints. This recipe, was taught to my mom by her grandmother and now I am learning it, I mean isn't that amazing! 

Now coming to the recipe:

Take Karela, wash it properly and scrape the outside a bit and don't peel it completely. Next, you slit and remove all the seeds and then soak them in saltwater for roughly 10-15 mins. Now take 1-2 spoons of wheat flour, one spoon of salt remove the karela from the water and scrub the karela with the mentioned mixture inside out and keep it for 10-15 mins. Wash it again properly, remove all the moisture once that is done it's time to stuff them.

The Stuffing:

The ingredients that were used are onions roughly chopped, coriander leaves, 2-3 green chillies split, handful of peanuts, half a teaspoon of fennel seeds, half a teaspoon coriander seeds, a pinch of asafoetida, tomatoes roughly chopped, half teaspoon of jeera, a pinch ajwain, one teaspoon of jaggery powder and salt to taste. No water was used. Stuff the karela with this mixture.

The Cooking Process:

Heat some oil in a wok, add the stuffed Karela to it and keep the flame on high for the first 3-5 mins, stir them a bit, cover them and cook them on dum. It will take about 20-25 mins and in between stir it and add a sprinkling of water so that the stuffing doesn't burn. Once done you can serve it roti or just enjoy it like that. 

I hope you guys can try this out and I hope it changes your perspective on eating Karela

Till then stay, safe, stay positive and be back again with more recipes. You can follow me on Instagram deliciousfooddude. It's an open account feel free to message me with any queries.