Manasa's cooking journey: Kakarikaya karam/Bitter gourd curry

Bitter gourd/Karela is very low in calories and is very rich in phytonutrients like dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

I learnt this recipe from a friend. It is a little time consuming recipe but the curry tastes awesome. People who do not like bitter gourd will also like this curry for sure. As per the original recipe, the karela pieces need to be deep fried. I experimented and tried roasting them in the oven for a low fat version.

Ingredients:

4 bitter gourds – about 6” long

¼ tsp turmetic

2 onions – medium sized

4 Garlic pods – crushed

Salt to taste and soak bitter gourd

Water to soak

To roast and Grind:

¼ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp Urad dal

½ tsp Chana dal

2 tbsp ground nut

2 tbsp Roasted Chana dal/Putnalu

5-6 Red Chillies – deseeded (varies depending on spice)

Curry leaves - few

Procedure:

Add a tsp of oil in a cooking pan and roast cumin,urad dal, chana dal,ground nuts,red chillies and curry leaves. Add the roasted chana dal and grind all these dry ingredients and keep aside.

Wash the bitter gourd thoroughly and cut them into circles.

Soak/ Marinate the clean and cut gourd for an hour in salt and turmeric. Squeeze out the water after a hour.

The squeezed gourd can be deep fried or roasted in an oven. For a low fat version, have used an oven to roast the bitter gourd slices.

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and place the sliced gourd. Brush with a little bit of oil on the top.

Roast in the preheated oven, stirring every 5 minutes, or until the slices are cooked through and browned. Flip with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning.

Depending on the maximum temperature of the oven, the cooking time varies. In my case, with a preheated oven at 475 degrees F (245 degrees C), It took about 13 mins to cook thoroughly.

Meanwhile heat oil in a cooking pan, add crushed garlic and saute for few seconds. Add the onions and sauté until they are soft and translucent.