Stuffed bitter gourd/karela/kakarakaya fry

karela,also known as Bitter gourd or kakarakaya. I hope people who hate karela(becoz of bitterness) can try this receipe.This curry will be good with white rice and it is very good as a side dish .I hope you will enjoy the recipe!!

Ingredients:

Bitter gourds-5(use small 3inch size karela-if you feel gourds are big cut into two pieces )
Dry mango powder/amchur powder-1tbsp
besan/bengal gram powder-2or 3 tbsp
red Chilli powder-1/2 tsp
Onions-1medium size(finely chopped)
cuury leaves-1 springs(optional)
coriander leaves/cilantro for garnishing
cumin seeds/jeera-1tsp
ginger garlic paste-1tbsp
oil- 8to10 tbsp(total)
Salt to taste
sugar or jaggery/bellam -11/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 th spoon

Preparation:

1. First prepare the masala for stuffing gourds :scrape the rough edges so that bitter gourd surface looks uniform and it will help in uniform frying of bitter gourd .

2.slit Bitter gourds from one side along length wise(longitudinal direction) as shown in the picture and remove seeds inside the bitter gourd and chop the seeds into very small size.If you feel chopping seeds is a heavy work just grind it coarsely using a mixi/Mortars and Pestles .

3.Take small pan,add 3 tsp of oil in a pan , add cumin seeds and add onions fry till golden brown,then add turmeric powder and besan flour. cook/fry the mixture , till you get a nice aroma of roasted besan.

4.Add ginger garlic paste and stir for a minute and add chilli powder and add chopped bitter gourd seeds.cook the whole mixture till nicely roasted,then add amchur powder , fry in low heat , add salt,coriander leaves and little sugar or jaggery.This whole masala preparation takes 10 -15 min.Now spicy masala is ready!!

5.stuffing :stuff the bitter melon with the cooked masala either using your hand or spoon. optional -tie the karela with small thread so the mixture is intact inside while cooking.

6.Take another pan add 6 tsp oil ,shallow fry in medium/low heat and cover with a lid on the pan .check freequently to prevent burning of gourds.

7.changing the sides of gourd in between ,till whole bitter gourd is well fried/cooked .If you feel the slit is too wide/large ,turn the gourd carefully in the pan or dont turn the gourd with stuffing down .

8.If you want the gourds to be crispy,once the bitter gourds are cooked, remove the lid and fry on low flame till crisp. You will find brown spots on the bitter gourds when they are fried.

9.Light sour,spicy stuffed bitter gourds are ready to eat with rice!!

Note: If you dont have amchur powder in handy you can also use other ingedients as a substitute i.e lemon juice along with corainder powder or any chat masala powder.