The Steaming Pot - Easy vegetarian recipes from India

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!

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This is a simple, no-spice dry vegetable dish that I like to carry as packed lunch to work or on a journey. No spill, no stain. Easy on the intestines. Nutritious. And tastes great – if you are a bitter gourd hater, this is the best bet to bring you over to the other camp.

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Bitter gourd onion fry – a great way to eat bitter gourd if you aren’t a fan of its taste. Combining it with onions is one of the most effective ways of reducing the bitterness of bitter gourd.

Well, this recipe is also a side effect of onion prices diving down this season – my no-onion spree is on a break, my kitchen is stacked with onions and I am adding the bulb copiously to any vegetable dish I make nowadays.

On to the recipe of bitter gourd onion fry…

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Bitter gourd (karela in Hindi) is an acquired taste perhaps – most people don’t relish its bitterness. One friend famously likes bitter gourd only in the form of bharwa karela (stuffed bitter gourd): she eats the filling and discards the shell.

I have never disliked bitter gourd; rarely will I put it through pre-cooking treatment to reduce its bitterness. Most of these steps make the karela lose not just bitterness but also nutrients. Still, if you must, here are a few tips to reduce the bitterness of bitter gourd:

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