Name: Saufiya Karela-No Fry Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 15 Karela/Bitter gourd (medium size); 3/4 tsp Haldi/Turmeric; 1/2 tsp Lal mirch powder/Red Chili powder; 1/2 tsp Paprika; 1/2 tsp kala Namak/Black Salt (optional); 1 1/2 tsp Dhania powder/Coriander powder; 1 to 1 1/2 tsp Sauf/Fennel seeds (ground); 3 tbsp oil (You can use Mustard oil for a more authentic flavor); salt as per taste; Sprinkling of chat masala (Use amchoor if its not available)

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You don’t have to scrape the peel or soak in salt or fry the karelas for this stir fry recipe. Just cut,add the spices and cook on a medium flame. I always made stuffed karelas as it is a family favorite, but it always seemed like a task to peel, rub salt and keep for sometime and then stuff with dry masalas/spices and then cook!

It was one of those crazy weeks when I had Karelas in the fridge but just no time to go through the whole lengthy process of stuffing them and certainly didn’t want to fry them. I just thought I would use the same spices that I normally stuff in them, except instead of stuffing, just sprinkle it on and cook.

It turned out to be super simple and delicious. In fact, I didn’t even peel them! This experiment was done a few years back and since then this is my go to method when I want a quick dinner on the table. The stuffed karelas was something that we used to make for overnight train trips back home, because it doesn’t spoil easily.This quick version also is perfect for travel and goes great with puris and theplas and lasts for days in the fridge.

I always like to make this and have it handy in the fridge because on busy days, all I have to do is make a dal and rice and serve it with this karela recipe. It does taste good made in mustard oil as well but that is an acquired taste.

Saufiya Karela-No Fry Recipe

Aanchal Gupta

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Course Sides, Vegetables and Greens

Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

15 Karela/Bitter gourd medium size
3/4 tsp Haldi/Turmeric
1/2 tsp Lal mirch powder/Red Chili powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp kala Namak/Black Salt optional
1 1/2 tsp Dhania powder/Coriander powder
1 to 1 1/2 tsp Sauf/Fennel seeds ground
3 tbsp oil You can use Mustard oil for a more authentic flavor
salt as per taste
Sprinkling of chat masala Use amchoor if its not available

Instructions

Wash the karelas/Bitter gourd and slice into thick slices. Leave the skin on.
Mix all the spices to the sliced karela/Bitter gourd.
Heat pan, Add oil and put the karela with spices on it, into the pan.
Stir well, cover and cook on medium.
Keep stirring once in a while and cook till it reduces and browns.
Sprinkle Chat masala on top(use amchoor if its not available)
Enjoy as a side dish, goes particularly well with dal and rice.

Notes

If you absolutely don’t like any bitterness in your karela, you can peel the skin and put salt and leave it for a few hours. Then just follow the procedure as above. I like a little bitterness and I don’t like to throw away all the benefits that are in the skin of the Karela. Also, if you are not peeling, you can prep in 5 minutes!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Here is the step by step pictorial recipe-

Ingredients