Karela Fry (Bitter gourd)

Cooking time: 30 minutes prep + 15 min cook | Difficulty level: Easy | Makes: 4 servings

Karela! The most hated vegetable. I remember when I was a kid and mom used to make karela for dinner, it was like the worst nightmare come true. But karela is packed with nutrients and is REALLY good for health. So my mom tried out various ways to cook it in order to make it palatable for us, yet preserve all the nutrients. Out of all the versions of this bitter vegetable, karela fry was my absolute favorite! So get excited folks, we are about to turn the most hated bitter gourd into a delightful snack!

Karela Fry

Ingredients
2 medium sized karela or bitter gourd, sliced 1/8" thick and cores removed
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder / paprika
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chickpea (gram) flour
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing) powder
2 tbsp oil


Method

1. In a deep bowl, add all the karela rings and salt. Toss well to coat the karela with salt and keep aside.
2. After about 30 minutes, you should see the karela leaving out water. This contains most of the bitterness. Using a sieve, drain all the water out.
3. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, asafoetida and gram flour. Toss well.
4. Heat the oil in a pan shallow enough that the level of oil is about 1/8" to 1/4" deep.
5. Carefully place the karela rings in the hot oil, making sure not to let them overlap.
6. Fry on medium-high until the karela rings start to turn a golden brown. Carefully flip each ring over to fry the other side. Remove when it starts looking brown and crispy.
7. Repeat with all the remaining rings, frying in batches.
8. Drain excess oil on a paper towel.
9. Season with some fresh lemon juice and chat masala or your choice of seasoning.

Helpful tips:

• Removing the core is not necessary. If the seeds are not too big, you can get away with leaving the core intact.
• Deep frying works well too. This recipe calls for shallow frying to be more conservative and save oil but deep frying will work just as well and save time.
• Karela or bitter gourd is sold in most Indian grocery stores that carry produce.