Karela Curry

Karela or bitter guard is not on many's favorite list. But, seeing its innumerable health benefits, it is wise to include it in our food often. In every karela preparation, efforts are made to lessen its bitterness either by adding extra ingredient or in the way of making.

Try out this karela curry, wherein we will be frying them a little bit and use curds to get rid of the bitterness. It tastes really different and good.

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd - 4-6 sliced
Curd - 3 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Salt to taste

Oil few spoons.

Wet Grind these to a Thick Paste:

Pepper - 1-2 spoons
Green chilies - 5

Thoor dal - 1 cup(soaked for 1 hour)
Tomato - 1
Ginger - 3-4 (1inch size)
Garlic 4 -5 cloves

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds - 1/4 spoon

Urad dal - 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 spoon
Dry red chilies - 3
Curry leaves few
Oil for shallow frying.

Procedure:

1. Wash and clean bitter gourd. Pat dry them. Trim their ends off. Slice them to thin rings.2. Heat oil, in a shallow pan. Fry bitter gourd till crisp and dark in parts. Leave over tissue paper for a while

3. Heat a deep heavy bottomed vessel. Add oil and wet ground paste to it. Fry them till they loose their raw smell. Then add asafoetida, salt, turmeric and yogurts. Mix them well. Let them come to 1-2 boil.

4. Now is the time to add fried bitter gourd and bring it to boil as well.

5. In a separate pan we will prepare the seasoning. Heat oil, add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, red chilies, pepper and curry leaves. Once they start spluttering switch off and spread this seasoning over the gravy made above.

Serve warm along with plain rice or rotis.