Wednesday 2 May 2007

Gujarati Series: Stuffed Karela

I admit, I can't warm up to these bitter Karelas......I can't get past its taste, unless it is smothered in some jaggery and cooked until burnt-crisp. Kartik, however, LOVES them. When he came back from his business trip last week, he bought fresh Indian veggies......and these Karelas were one of them. I stuck my tongue out at him, because, I knew that for dinner the next day, he would want Stuffed Karelas- his favorite.

Here is a recipe that is different, and quite tasty- even for Karela haters like me. Well, not really. I mean, its tasty, I still don't like Karelas though.

You will need:
  • 5-6 Fresh Bitter Gourd or Karelas - split in half, with its insides scooped out. Save some of the inside flesh.
  • 1 cup - frozen sweet peas- crushed coarsely.
  • 2 tbsp- Besan Flour
  • 3 or more cloves of garlic, 1 medium piece of ginger, Green chilies - all made into a paste
  • salt, turmeric, some garam masala, sugar, dhania-jeera powder - to taste
  • 1 tbsp Oil - to temper the filling, 1 tbsp Oil- to temper the Karelas

Scoop out the insides from the Karelas by cutting them into small pieces, using a sharp knife. You don't need to peel the skin off the Karelas.

Reserve some of these insides to add to the filling, but make sure to salt them for 15-20 minutes to remove the bitter juices. Crush to a coarse paste.

Mix together the besan flour, ginger-chili-garlic paste, salt, sugar, turmeric, dhania-jeera powder, and garam masala powder. Set aside.

In a pan, heat some oil, add the peas and the karela paste. I used sweet peas so the bitter flavors don't overpower the curry. Cook until lightly browned. Now add the besan and spice mix. Stir until it forms a nice, dry filling. Cool for a few minutes and fill each Karela with this mixture.

In a separate, wider pan, heat some oil. Add the stuffed karelas, one by one, taking care not to over lap any. These should have plenty of room to cook. Cook until nicely browned, you will have keep turning them with a pair of tongs every now and then to ensure that they cook evenly. Serve hot with some rotis and another gravy type curry for a complete meal. Enjoy.

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31 comments:

Sharmi said...

Am I the first? I love stuffed karelas, My mom makes them. recently had it at a friend's place and it tasted great. you did not add onions right? besan must be making it crispy and tasty. nice recipe. will try out.

Sharmi said...

Oh forgot to mention, I liked the changes you have made in your blog. esp. the Saris, pics, all look fabulous. lovely Saris.

Richa said...

hey, amey karela regularly banaviye ;-) tari recipe navi che jaroor try karis, photo saras kadheya che, karelanu chilka kadhwa padhe kay nai? tara lassi ni post ma vachiyu sukhadi upcoming che. kyare banavanu plan che?
hugs

DEEPA said...

too good ..i also love karela ..one of my favts ...Running short of karela this week .Will buy them soon and try it out . The saree looks great

Viji said...

Nice one trupti. The stuffing is different what you mentioned here. Viji

bee said...

that is so enticing, trupti. bittergourd is my fav veggie. i must try this. hope all the computer crapola has been sorted out.

Mishmash ! said...

I love bittergourds but I have never tasted the stuffed ones...and only after I started blogging I came to know that this veggie cane be stuffed ;)

Shn

Bong Mom said...

ha ha so you took the bitterness out :) At our home they insist on the bitterness but like you I am not too fond either

This bharwa looks good

musical said...

I love karelas, so am definitely gonna try this one out. Very different stuffing. Can get some for lunch please! They go so well with parathas, yaar. Also try having them with some hot daal and chapatis.

FH said...

Same here T!:D I can't eat more than 1 tbsp of the Karala stuff I make but Arvind eats the whole with Yugurt!!Weird! I guess it's aquried taste.
Your dish looks good,mine always red and chopped fine!!I will try your way next time when I get it.

swapna susarla said...

hi trupti
i like stuffed karelas.my mil did this dish once.surely like to try this myself..thanks for sharing.fresh blooms are looking wonderful!!

Anonymous said...

peas is new to me
besan is done by most of my relatives.
did u have a look at my stuffed karela?
http://www.talimpu.com/2007/04/27/moong-dal-in-karela/

indosungod said...

Trupti, agree Karela is an acquired taste but I love it. Never tried stuffing Karela , this looks yummy.

Alan said...

We've seen the bittergourds at the Indian grocery but had no idea what to do with them. Maybe we'll get adventureous.

Anonymous said...

Trupti, I have never tried stuffed Karela though I love frying it.

Btw is that Nimbu-Mirchi on your blog? nazar na lage ;);)

Anonymous said...

I like stuffed karelas once in a while.. should try your way next time

Sushma

Anonymous said...

I like stuffed karelas once in a while.. should try your way next time

Sushma

Bharathy said...

You Indeed have a fabulous place here trupti!!beautiful pics...those sarees are lovely...the picture in your header is absolutely wonderful(i wonder how you girls do it!!)...nice recipes too...Oh!!! so you too with a paneer spinach combo for JFI???:)...Great!!!

Dr. Soumya Bhat said...

Hey Trupthi,
Love karela.Will try your recipe.Never tried stuffed karela.thanks for sharing

archana said...

Karelas have never been my favorite too.I make them becoz of its medicinal value. Your recipe certainly is different with peas in it. Will try it some time :)
Trupti the saris displayed in your blog are too good. Where are they from ?

Prema Sundar said...

Oh trupti... I just hate karelas.. but one of my friend said just yesterday that stuffed karelas would taste less bitter. So i was thinking to try that and here i see the recipe. thanks for sharing.

sunita said...

As a child, I hated karelas...but now I don't mind...can't say I adore them, but don't dismiss them either...that's a nice recipe ...

Chef Jeena said...

Hi Trupti great recipe sounds lovely :)

Sig said...

Love Karelas, we don't stuff these in Kerala, but I've been seeing too many stuffed karela recipes around... Yours look very yummy...

Sreelu said...

I love stuffed karela, looks so beautiful. I should make this its been a long time since I ate this veggie. Thanks for the recipe trupti

Kajal said...

Hi trupri,
Love your guju dish.
My papa prefers this curry with ras.
In summer days after three or four day we make this curry.
Great Saris picture in your blog.
Lovely sari.:)
TC.

Anonymous said...

Ohhh my...what a lovely recipe...I have to admit..I am not a big karela fan...I do like it when its cooked with jaggery...thanks for sharing

FH said...

I just found this in enews and they have many of our blogs and posts without asking us(or me anyway!) What do you think?They have this post too.

http://www.enewss.com/Recipes/

Richa said...

hey trupti, I made ur stuffed karela & it turned out awesome! badhaney bau gameya :) aa vakte maney bau saras nana karela madeya .
thanks for this YUMMY recipe, we had seconds & thirds :)

Lotus Reads said...

This looks so delicious, I almost want to cry with hunger for it!

B said...

Thanks for the recipe. Our Gujarati nanny used to make this and it was nice to find the recipe so that I could make it for dinner. My lil one loves this and so do the adults

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