How do I reduce the bitterness?

Salt-rest the scraped karela, rinse, and balance with amchur — the bitterness mellows a lot.

Its pungency complements the karela and is the traditional choice in North-Indian kitchens.

Bharwa Karela

Name: Bharwa Karela
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 6 small Bitter gourds (karela); 2 medium Onions, finely chopped; 3 tbsp Besan, roasted; 2 tbsp Fennel, coriander, amchur; 1 tsp Salt; 4 tbsp Anveshan Wood-Pressed Mustard Oil

Bitter gourd stuffed with a tangy spiced onion-besan masala and slow-cooked in Anveshan Wood-Pressed Mustard Oil.

Time breakdown

Prep Time30 min

Cook Time30 min

Total Time1 hr

Ingredients

Bitter gourds (karela)
Onions, finely chopped
Besan, roasted
Fennel, coriander, amchur
Salt
💡 You can also use Groundnut Oil / Sunflower Oil / Coconut Oil / Black Sesame Oil / Olive Oil as per your preference.

How to Make Bharwa Karela

1
Scrape, slit and rub the karela with salt; rest 30 minutes and rinse to reduce bitterness.
2
Sauté onions with roasted besan, fennel, coriander, amchur and salt for the filling.
3
Stuff the karela and tie with thread if needed.

Tips for the Best Bharwa Karela

✓Salt-rest and rinse the karela to draw out bitterness before stuffing.
✓Cook low and slow so the karela softens and the filling caramelises.

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