Stuffed Karela

Today I am coming with the veggie  which is not liked by many i.e. KARELA as it has bitter taste. Normally I used to make karela stir fry, stuffed karela, karela pulusu etc. Generally I make this karela once in 10 days in our menu.

These small size karelas, I brought them from a small village near Basara when we went to Basara for darshan of Godess Saraswathi. Vegetable seller told me that they are from the creeper which it grown on  their hut. Fresh and Organic and without any pesticides. I prepared stuffed karela with them.  This is from my grandmother's kitchen. She used to half boil them in the previous night. Squeeze them and dry them. Next day she used to cook. So that less oil is required  fry as there is no much moisture in karela.

Very tasty, this is as good as any karela can get. Try by yourself and see the taste.

Let us go for prepare my grandmother's recipe

Ingredients

• Karela                             1/2  kg (small and medium)
• Salt                                  1/4 tbsp
• Tamarind                         2 or 3 pods
• Turmeric powder
• Oil to fry

For stuffing

• Onion                                            1 big (chop finely)
• Roasted chick peas (putna)            1/4 cup
• Red Mirch powder                         1 tbsp (depends on spice level)
• Garlic                                             2 bulbs
• Cumin seeds                                    little
• Required salt

How I did it           

1. Rinse karela, wipe them dry. If you want you can peel outer layer.
2. Make slit on one side, not ripping the ends.
3. Half boil them with pinch of salt, turmeric powder and tamarind. It takes away little bitterness of karela.
4. Drain the water squeeze and keep aside.
5. Meantime grind roasted chick peas. Garlic, red mirchi powder, cumin seeds and salt into coarse powder, not too fine.
6. Then take sauce pan, add required oil, heat it on medium  flame.
7. Spread the karelas in pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. See the colour to be golden brown.
8. Flip them and fry the other side also.
9. Transfer them one by one into plate and let them cool.
10. In the same pan, see if there is remaining oil in the pan to fry the stuffing. If oil is more take if off.
11. First fry chopped onion till transparent.
12. Then add grounded masala and stir for 1 or 2 minutes. Let it cool.
13. Take each karela, open the slit and stuff the masala gently.
14. Sprinkle the remaining masala on karela if any.

See the taste.

It goes well with garama garam rice and dollop of ghee. You can take this with roti also good.