If karela is not one of your favourite dishes, this recipe may just make you change your mind about this vegetable.
Wash the karelas, scrape the skin, and slit from the centre. Marinate both karelas and scrapings in salt for an hour; this will reduce the bitterness.
After an hour, wash thoroughly under running water. Scoop out the seeds with the back of a spoon. Wash and keep scrapings aside (these will be used inside the karela as a filling).
Heat 2 to 3 tsp mustard oil in a kadai (wok). Add onion paste and sauté. Add all the dry ingredients (spices) except saunf powder.
Let the dry spices cook for a minute, add the tomatoes, karelas, and scrapings. Let it cook for 5 minutes on a medium flame till the oil starts leaving the sides.
Add saunf powder.
Add the filling inside the karelas and tie them individually with a thread so the filling stays inside.
In a heavy-bottomed kadai /pan, add mustard oil (4 to 5 tsp) and let it heat. Gently add the tied karelas, spread the sliced onions on top, and cover the kadai for 5 minutes.
Stir the karelas gently after 5 minutes. Keep the flame on low and let them cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep stirring once or twice in between.
Refrigerate leftovers
Benefits: Karela purifies blood and manages blood sugar
Use small karelas.
Do not throw the scrapings; these will be added to the filling.
Always marinate the karelas with salt to reduce bitterness.
Tastes best when cooked with mustard oil
For the filling, use less salt as the karelas are already marinated in salt
