Bharwa Karela |Indian Masala Stuffed Bittergourd | Healthy Low Calorie Recipe | Healthy Snack Recipe | Side dish for Flat breads | Vegan and Gluten Free

Hi Supermoms,

For many people, party or a fun evening means a long session of heavy snacks like Kebabs, Fries, Pakoras and other Crisps made of Potatoes, Paneer etc. Next day is all about huge guilt of eating so much of unhealthy snacks and taking a fresh vow to eat more salads next time. Well why not combine pleasure with health and taste. What better than a shallow fried snack with yummy stuffing inside but with a twist i.e the snack itself is made of a healthy vegetable. Presenting the Bharwa Karela, a yummy snack for the health conscious. You are going to love this recipe ! 

Bharwan Karela ( Indian Masala Stuffed Bittergourd ):

Preparation time : 30 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
Serves : 4
1 cup = 250 ml cup

Ingredients:

8 medium size bittergourds/karela
3 tablespoons coconut oil or mustard oil ( divided)
1 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala 
1/2  teaspoon amchoor powder ( optional)
salt to taste

For the Ground Masala (wet masala, to be ground raw):

1 onion ( red or white)
1 tomato 
1/4 cup raw mango ( chopped)
1 green chilli
4 garlic pods
1" ginger piece( peeled)
1/2" fresh turmeric ( peeled)

For the dry masala ( to be lightly dry roasted and ground) :

10 peanuts
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 dry red chillies
marble size tamarind 
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut

Method :

1. Scrap the outer skin of the bitter gourds, make a vertical cut in the centre leaving the base of the bitter gourd intact.
2. Gently scoop out the seeds and the pith and set it aside.

3. Rub the bitter gourds with salt, inside out. 

4. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the pith and seeds and allow it to rest for at least half an hour, squeeze the excess water , wash , drain and set them aside.
5. Allow the bitter gourds to allow rest for 30 minutes.
6. In the meantime, grind all the ingredients given under ' ground masala' and keep it aside.

7. Heat a small pan and gently roast the ingredients given under the ' dry masala' except the coconut.

8. Grind them coarsely.
9. After half an hour, wash the bitter gourds and pat dry them in a kitchen towel.

10. Heat a pan/ kadai over low flame with 1 tablespoon oil.
11. When the oil heats up add the ground masala (wet) and the drained pith and peel.

12. Mix well and add salt, dry ( roasted) masala,  kashmiri chilli powder and garam masala.
13. Allow it to cook for 8-10 minutes or till the time the excess water is absorbed and oil separates, switch off.

14. Spoon the masala into each bitter gourd . 
15. Heat a wide pan with the remaining coconut oil.

16. Gently place the stuffed bitter gourds in the pan and shallow fry them till all the sides are uniformly browned. 
Your delicious Bharwa Karela is ready ! You can also serve them along with rotis or hot rice.

Chef Tips :

1. You can add a teaspoon of ghee to the stuffing for added taste.
2. After filling the bitter gourd with the masala, you can tie the bitter gourd with thread and deep fry them in oil.
3. Adjust spice levels according to your taste.
4. If fresh turmeric is not available, you can use turmeric powder.
5. If raw mango is not available you can add 1 teaspoon lemon juice  to the filling .

Looking for another interesting bitter gourd recipe? Try my Chettinad Pavakkai Kara Kuzhambu recipe ?

Happy Cooking !

With love,

Masterchefmom