In this karela masala fry recipe, spice-coated bitter gourd slices are pan-fried on low heat leisurely till they crisp up and lose all but a hint of their native bitterness. Serve karela masala fry to folks who shun bitter gourd – watch them be pleasantly surprised at how mellow this dreaded vegetable can be!
Sides
Chutneys, pickles, raitas to accompany an Indian meal.
Chickpea Sundal: Vrat-Friendly Chickpea Recipe
Quick, easy, lightweight chickpea sundal. Just right for those times when our default chickpea preparation – channa masala – feels too elaborate and time-consuming, or when we need a break from the onion-garlic-ginger-tomato masala ensemble. The ingredient list in this recipe is “vrat-friendly” – that is, suited for festive occasions when onion and garlic are avoided.
Chickpea sundal tastes great warm or cold. It can be had as a standalone salad or as a side dish with a bigger meal.
Easy Raw Mango Salsa – No-Cook Spicy Relish
A no-cook style of eating raw mangoes that’s lip-smacking delicious and what’s more – so easy a "no cook" can make it. Just get yourself a good quality knife or peeler and you are all set for preparing this…well, I call it raw mango salsa, though it might not be a purist’s idea of "salsa".
No matter what it’s called – it tastes wonderful!
Raw Mango Garlic Chutney
A tangy garlicky dip to go with parathas and fried savories. Raw mango garlic chutney (kachcha aam lahsun chutney) is a must-try when raw mangoes are in season.
Parval ki Bhujiya: Simply Served Pointed Gourd
This recipe pays homage to parval, a gourd popular in the eastern states of India. Whenever we make a trip to Bihar, we come back loaded with parval [1] by the bagful – we could buy this elsewhere too, sure, but the quality we find in Bihar is unmatched.
If you do get hold of parval glistening green on the outside, seeds and flesh tender and firm – count yourself blessed and make parval ki bhujiya this way. This recipe lets the gourd take the spotlight – no dousing in spices, no other vegetables added to the mix.
The Easiest Kairi Khatti-Meethi Chutney
This recipe of kairi khatti-meethi chutney (sweet and sour raw mango chutney) is so elementary, even Watson wouldn’t need a Holmes to explain it to him. Or so I thought till a friend asked me what I had put in the amazing accompaniment I served with the meal.
Ginger? Lime? Some Far Eastern condiment you brought back from the travels?
It turns out that what we believe is too obvious for words may not be so.