Bitter gourd masala

How to make bitter gourd / bitter melon/ Karela curry

As a child I hated eating bitter gourd curry and always wondered how can people eat vegetable like bitter gourd. But now as a mother of two children I could see nutritional values of vegetables and importance of including all vegetables in the diet. No doubt my children don’t like this bitter in taste vegetable and I often make stuffed bitter gourd loaded with masalas,fried onions.
But sometimes when i feel lazy to make stuffed bitter gourd curry i try to make this curry in different ways and while experimenting for making bitter gourd more interesting I made this bitter gourd masala curry and its tasty and hides bitter taste of the vegetable completely. Its very simple to make and doesn’t require de-seeding or squeezing out the juice of bitter gourd .Actually while making bitter gourd curry the juice is squeezed out to make curry little bitter . but this can be avoided while making this bitter gourd curry and still its not bitter in taste. In stead of dry grated coconut fresh coconut also can be used as per availability.Roasted peanuts  powder gives nutty taste to bitter gourd curry.And finally sprinkle lemon juice as well.
Everyone will like this not so bitter in taste bitter gourd curry and it goes well with hot chapathis or fulakas.

 

Cooking Time :30 min

Ingredients:

·      Bitter gourd washed and chopped as discs 2 cup

·      Onions chopped 1/2

·      Garlic cloves 4-5

·      Oil 2 tb Spoon

·      Salt as per taste

·      Turmeric powder 1/4 tea spoon

·      Chili powder 1/4 tea spoon

·      Coriander powder 1/4 tea spoon

·      Cumin seeds powder 1 tea spoon

·      Grated dry coconut 1 tb spoon

·      Roasted peanut powder 2 tb spoon

·      Sugar ¼ tea spoon

·      Lemon juice 1 tea spoon

Directions to Cook :

1. Heat kadhai and add oil in it.

2. Add cumin seeds , mustard seeds and asafoetida  in oil  and let the seeds splutter .

3. Add chopped onions and crushed garlic in oil and saute it.

4. Add bitter gourd discs in pan and saute everything together.

5. Cook bitter gourd for 6-7 minutes on low flame.Stir in between to avoid burning.

6. Add cumin powder, turmeric, salt, coriander powder ,chili powder in it.

7. Add  grated coconut , roasted peanut powder and mix well make sure to keep flame low as it may burn bitter guard.

8. Add lemon juice and sugar in pan and cook bitter gourd curry for 4-5 minutes and cover with lid.

9.Serve bitter gourd  masala while hot with chapathi or fulakas.