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Karela (Bitter Melon Stir Fry)
4.8 from 18 votes

Karela (Bitter Melon Stir Fry)

Karela, also called bitter melon, is a popular vegetable used in many Asian countries. Here is a delicious North Indian Karela recipe, where bitter melon is cooked with onions and spices, along with some jaggery to get a sweet, spicy and tangy stir fry!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Resting Time
30 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 3
Calories: 186 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces bitter melon remove any hard seeds and slice in rounds, aka Karela
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon neutral cooking oil I used mustard oil, generic cooking oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds aka Jeera
  • ¼ teaspoon asafoetida optional, skip for gluten-free, aka hing
  • 2 cup onion sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder ground, aka Haldi powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder Mirchi powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder aka Jeera powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder dhaniya powder
  • 2 teaspoon gram flour optional, aka besan
  • 1-2 tablespoon jaggery grated (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon dry mango powder or lime juice, aka amchur
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped, leaves

Instructions

Prepping Karela
    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash the bitter melon and remove any hard/red seeds. If the karela is small and has tender seeds, it is not necessary to remove them. Then slice them into thin rounds.
  2. (Optional) Sprinkle salt over the chopped bitter melon, mix well and leave for about 30 minutes. Then Squeeze the bitter melon gently between your palms to remove the bitter juice.
Cooking Karela
  1. Heat oil in a large heavy bottom saucepan on medium-high heat. Then reduce heat a little and add cumin seeds and asafoetida. Let them sizzle for a few seconds.
  2. Add onions and cook them for 2-3 minutes. We don't want to brown the onions here, just cook them to make translucent.
  3. Add all the spices - turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chili powder. Add salt if you did not add it to remove bitterness of karela.
  4. Add the chopped bitter melon and mix it well.
  5. Cover the pan and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Let the karela cook till done while stirring at regular intervals.
  6. Add the gram flour and mix well. Then add jaggery and mix well till the jaggery melts.
  7. Add the dry mango powder and mix well. Remove from heat.
  8. Garnish with cilantro and serve!

Notes

  • While chopping the bitter melon, chop them in medium size slices because if it is too thick, it will not cook properly and if it is too thin, the stir-fry will become mushy.
  • If using a pressure cooker, make sure that it is cooked in low heat. Otherwise, it will get burnt as water is not added to this dish.
  • You can also add some peeled and chopped potatoes cubes in this recipe. Adjust the spices as needed.
  • Gram flour and Jaggery are both optional in this recipe. But they both addd their own wonderful flavor. So try and see what you prefer to add.

Nutrition Information

Calories 186kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 22g (7%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 10g (15%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 795mg (33%) Potassium 531mg (11%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 651IU (13%) Vitamin C 103mg (114%) Calcium 52mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 186

% Daily Value*

Calories 186kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 22g 7%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 795mg 33%
Potassium 531mg 11%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 651IU 13%
Vitamin C 103mg 114%
Calcium 52mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.