With a sharp bitter flavor, karela juice stands quite apart from other vegetable and fruit juices. Nevertheless, the drink is becoming popular in many households simply because the health benefits it comes with. It is widely consumed all over Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.
A few people find this juice unpalatable. Unless you have a liking for bitter taste and tart flavor, it would be quite difficult to finish up a glass of this juice. Adding jaggery or honey to a glass of karela juice will balance out the bitter taste. You can add a pinch of black pepper or ginger to cut the overwhelming tartness in the juice.
Health Benefits of Karela Juice
Karela, or the bitter gourd, is a very potent vegetable with some great health benefits:
- Functions as a blood purifier – karela has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that help remove toxins from the blood.
- Aids in achieving weight loss – karela juice stimulates the liver boosting your metabolism.
- It improves and bolsters your immune system with its Vitamin C content.
- Functions similar to insulin, making a great insulin supplement for diabetics – karela has a protein known as polypeptide P which mimics insulin.
Ingredients
2 bitter gourd
1/2 tsp of salt or juice from half a lemon
½ cup apple or pear juice
How To Make Karela Juice
- Use a peeler or knife to remove the karela skin.
- Slice from the center, and scoop the white flesh and seeds of the vegetable.
- Chop the melon into tiny chunks.
- Soak the chopped pieces in cold water for about 30 minutes.
- Blend in a mixer grinder with 1/2 teaspoon salt and lemon juice.
- Mix this concoction to a glass of water
- Serve in steel cup and enjoy.
Did You Know?
Although bitter gourd melon originated in India, it is common to find many of these plants on roadsides in the islands of Caribbean.