Bitter melon is a notorious and nutritious vegetable in proverbs and sayings for its bitter flavor like ‘karwa karela’, ‘karela si batein’ but the bitterness has sweet effects on health. Indian bitter melon curry or Karela Masala recipe is made by cutting the bitterness of the vegetable. Then the vegetable is cooked in tomato onion gravy. The gravy is flavored with Indian spices, jaggery (or brown sugar), and tamarind (or lemon) to further undermine the bitter flavor making it very delicious. Kerela/ bitter melon is just like other vegetables, the trick is to cut its bitterness to an enjoyable level. Like it will still be slightly bitter but the bitter sour taste is the delicacy of this vegetable. Hurray! The Prep is done and we can proceed to the gravy. The gravy requires some cooking time so you can also do the washing step while onion tomato gravy simmers on low heat. The onion tomato masala along with lemon/ tamarind and sugar undermines the bitter taste of karela. And it tastes delightfully yummy with background bitterness.
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Since, Indian bitter melon curry or Karela is so special to me, if you like it please leave a comment. I’ll be delighted to hear.
Peeling bitter melon help reduce the bitterness. Most popular to cut bitterness is frying sliced bitter melon. I personally do not like this method as it losses a lot of nutrients by frying the vegetable while adding extra calories to the meal. The second one is applying little salt and lemon to the bitter melon and leaving it for at least 30 minutes. You can also apply the salt-lemon rub up to 12 hours ahead, which makes the whole process very easy. Try to get organic bitter melon for the best taste.
If you try this Indian Bitter Melon curry this recipe, I’d LOVE to hear your feedback in the comments. Your 5-ratings motivate me to do my best. Stay connected for more recipes and videos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube. If you know of better ways to cut bitterness of karela, please share. We would love to know.
