Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Karelas

Hi there,

Yes, I know - this is not a pastry recipe but I did promise I would share some Indian Food Recipes...!
Karelas are an interesting vegetable to cook. They are bitter and salty and yummy! It's definitely an acquired taste and not for the faint of heart. If you like savoury, salty and bitter - this is a good one to try. It's not a typical dish you would find in an Indian restaurant but more so in home cooking. This is a good recipe to start overnight for best results. I would love to hear your thoughts on this recipe - Let me know how it turns out! Happy Cooking!


Recipe:

3-4 karelas
1 onion sliced
1 shallot sliced
1 green chilli or 1/2 jalapeno
2tbsp cooking oil/ghee
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1.5 tsp red chilli powder/paste
1/4 tsp tumeric (haldi) powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1 tblsp sugar (optional)
salt (optional)

1. Slice and salt karela and let drain on paper towels for several hours or over night. (This removes excess water and bitterness).

2. In a deep, heavy skillet, fry onions, shallots, and jalapeno for 5min. Add mustards seeds and cumin seeds and fry for additional 7min until until translucent.

3. Add sliced, drained karela and mix. Cover/Fry for 15-20 min until karela start to brown and carmelized.

4. Add powder spices and sugar. Mix and fry for additional 10 min until karela are dark brown./charred.

5. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle fresh coriander.



Ready - Serve with roti/naan/rice. Enjoy!



1 comment:

Unknown said...

I am amazed that you cook karelas. Mostly kids grow up not liking it because it has slight bitter taste. But not many people know its medical benefits especially for diabetic patients. I prefer putting it in the menu of company mess and have it for lunch every week during the season. Oh and one more thing, to really enjoy karelas, have lassi with it and if possible, paratha (tandori paratha is preferrable) to really enjoy the dish. But have it for lunch on weekends so that if you doze off later on, you dont miss anything except your off time.

 
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