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Karela RecipesCooking Karela : Spicy Kalonji, Karela Chips or Shallow Fried
Karela, also known as the bitter gourd or bitter melon, has a unique flavour which can be surprising to western palates.
For the following karela recipes, use the smaller Indian Karela, while they are still green outside and white inside. Karela are easy to find in most Indian or Chinese supermarkets. The Indian Karela can be distinguished from the larger Chinese bitter gourd not only by their size, but also by their spiky, knobbly skin. The red pith of ripe karela can be used in salads, but take care, as the outer skin will become even more bitter, the riper the karela becomes. As a general note for these karela recipes, which all involve large quantities of oil: Western cooks frequently use olive oil as a matter of course (although not usually for deep-frying), but the distinctive flavour and low burn point of olive oil make it less suitable for most Indian dishes. Vegetable or sunflower oil, or any flavourless oil, is better for spicy food – and of course, it is cheaper! Simple “Kalonji”Kalonji is the Hindi word for black cumin, but in Fiji Hindi it provides the name for this dish of Punjabi origin. The deep-fried Karela is soft and juicy, but with a pleasant cripness to the skin. It would be a good drinking accompaniment (or “Chaisa”, as it is called in Fiji). Obviously, it is not dainty, dinner-party food, and neither is it especially healthy – but it is uniquely tasty! Take a few medium-sized, mature karela, and slice them open lengthwise. Open up the hole with your fingers without breaking the gourd open, and scoop out the insides so that you have a pocket. Sprinkle the inside liberally with salt, and deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper, and serve. Spicy “Kalonji”In this bitter gourd recipe, a paste of garam masala, turmeric, cumin, salt, and crushed chilli, garlic and oil is filled inside the karela before deep-frying. As in the previous recipe, you will need to scrape the insides out and use the spice mixture as a filling. The proportions of spices will be a matter of personal taste, but as a general rule, use more garlic than ginger; and use the other spices as you would use salt. Use enough oil to make a paste, but don’t let it get too runny. Karela “Chips”Slice the karela thinly horizontally to form thin circles. Ideally, you want tender young karelas for this to make the slicing easier. Dry in the sun (or under a grill on low heat) until it gets a slightly wilted appearance. Deep fry until crisp, drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve. Perfect with Dhal and rice or as a vegetarian snack! Shallow-Fried KarelaRather like bhindi, if karela is undercooked it will be slimy. The bitter flavour is improved by carmelization and the liberal use of salt and cooking oil. Heat oil; and add the karela, sliced across the width. Season with plenty of salt, and cook on a medium heat for 20-30 minutes, or until crisp. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Because karela must be cooked for so long to reduce the bitterness, it is best to cook it without other vegetables, which would otherwise burn. Sliced onion and garlic can be added towards the end of cooking, for a different texture. Related articles: How to Cook a Fijian Tinned Fish Curry
The copyright of the article Karela Recipes in Indian Food is owned by Hoagy Scoins. Permission to republish Karela Recipes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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