Recipe For Stuffed Karela - Bitter Gourd

Bitter gourd known as karela in Hindi. It is disliked by most of the people due to the bitter taste. This vegetable is cooked in different combinations to better the bitter taste.

Stuffed karela is a tasty side dish and my 6 year old daughter really loves and relishes it the most. Twice a week she insists me to prepare this curry and she enjoys it with rice and ghee (melted butter). This is a healthy and easy to make recipe and is relished by all alike.

Preparation Method

1. Take 4 to 6 thin and long karelas, wash these under tap water.
2. Wipe the karelas dry with paper / kitchen towels, slit longitudinally in the middle so as to make it into a boat shaped one.
3. Keep these aside. Now take 2 tbsp gram flour (besan) in a bowl, add red chilli powder as per taste.
4. Add 1 tsp each of dhania (coriander seeds)-jeera (cumin seeds) powder (or only jeera powder), amchur (dry mango powder) and salt to it. Adding amchur powder is optional.
5. If you wish you can add little grated gur / jaggery as well for little sweetness in the taste but it not necessary.
6. Add 1 or 2 tsp of vegetable oil and blend the ingredients. Make this into a dry powder only and not a paste.
7. Stuff this powder into the boat-shaped karelas. If necessary, press hard with your fingers / thumb to push in the stuff into the karela.
8. Heat enough oil in a frying pan and gently place these stuffed karelas in the oil in such a way that the stuffed part is upwards.
9. Allow these stuffed karelas fry over medium flame.
10. When the bottom part of karelas is fried, turn these upside down and allow the other side to fry over medium flame.
11. Once these are done you can take these in a serving-plate, garnish with thin chips of carrot, beet root, cucumber etc and enjoy the taste with rice and ghee.

Health benefits of Karela

Bitter gourd is low in calories and is a very good source of Vitamins B and C. It is rich in minerals like magnesium, folic acid, iron, zinc, phosphorus and manganese besides high dietary fiber. Particularly bitter gourd contains polypeptide P which is considered good for diabetic people in meeting the insulin requirement of the body. It even contains hypoglycemic compound which helps in lowering the sugar levels in the blood and urine as well. Consuming karela juice early in the morning with empty stomach is considered very effective in controlling sugar levels. In addition to controlling sugar levels, consumption of karela juice helps in improving energy levels and thus increases the body stamina, controls psoriasis, improves respiratory disorders and the beta-carotene content in bitter gourd helps in maintaining eye health. So when karela has so many health benefits, why not try out some varieties with bitter gourd and relish the taste.