Sindh’s Stuffed Karela

Stuffed karela, is a much nicer way of saying stuffed bitter gourd. The former sounds interesting, but the latter, may put some people off. Don’t let the name stop you from experiencing a wonderful time. Stuffed karela may be bitter at first, but once you acquire that taste, it will transform into an amazing tasting dish that you will want to share with friends and family. Just make sure to give them a chance to get used to it first.

Health Benefits

Karela, also known as bitter melon, bitter squash, or bitter gourd is one of the more interesting vegetables to include in your diet. Besides its noteworthy flavor (its bitter factor lives up to its name), the bitter melon also has some noteworthy health benefits. Most noteworthy, is its ability to reduce the complications of hemorrhoids, improve respiratory health, and improve the health of your skin. It also has the ability to reduce and prevent certain symptoms of cancer.

Ingredients

4 bitter gourds

2 large onions – grated

1 tomato – finely chopped

1 tbsp homemade ginger garlic paste

1 green chilli – finely chopped

1 tsp amchur powder

1 tsp coriander seed powder

1 tsp cumin seed powder

1/4 tsp haldi powder

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

salt to taste

oil

A spool of white cotton thread

1 small bowl of whipped yogurt

Salt

How To Make Sindh’s Stuffed Karela

1. Scrape the peels off the karela.
• Salt them then set aside to rest.
• Note: This reduces the bitterness of the karela.
2. Let the karela sit for 15 minutes
3. Slit the karela vertically, partially, leaving the ends intact.
4. De-seed the karela.
5. Give them a firm squeeze with your hands to remove some of the juices.
6. Fry the karela (both deep or shallow frying work) until they turn soft and pliable.
7. Set aside.

Prepare the stuffing

1. Squeeze the juice from the grated onions and save the juice.
2. Pour 2 tbsps of oil into a hot pan that is being heated over a flame.
3. Sauté the onions for a minute.
4. Add the chopped tomato, and the remaining ingredients set aside for the stuffing.
5. Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove from the stove then let it cool.

Fill the karelas with the stuffing

1. Secure each karela around its middle.
   1. Loop white thread around it 5-6 times before tying the string into a knot.
2. Place the karelas into a flat-bottomed sauté pan in a single layer.
   1. Pour the yogurt and onion juice around the karelas.
   2. Add a bit of salt and cook the karelas at a medium temperature until they turn tender and are cooked through.
3. Serve with a light and runny khichdi, and some dudhi raita.

Trivia

Bitter gourd looks highly similar to the cucumber, except it is covered in wart like bumps.