Stuffed Bitter Gourd (Punjabi Style Stuffed Karela)

Ingredients:

• 4 bitter melon (karela)
• For the Filling
• 3cloves of garlic chopped
• 2 small onion chopped
• 2-3 green chilies
• 1and half tbsp oil for preparing the mixture(filling/stuffing) and 3-5 tsp (for frying the final stuffed)
• 1tsp cumin powder
• 1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
• 2 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
• 2 tablespoons coriander powder (dhania)
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds powder (saunf)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste(i did not took here as green chili is used)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon mango powder (amchoor)
• salt to taste

Recipe:

First step: Dry roast the besan(bengal gram flour till its brownish in color and aroma comes) keep aside. Prepare the karela by washing and drying them then using a peeler peel off the bumpy green skin and keep in a bowl. Slice open the tummy of each karela without going all the way through and scrape out the inside including the seeds using a teaspoon into the same bowl.This will make the stuffing.

Filling: Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add chopped garlic,onion, green chilies, asafetida to the oil .Add all the remaining dry spices: coriander powder, fennel powder, turmeric, chili powder, salt.Let it cook for 4-5 mins covered with a lid till 2 mins low flame. Finally add roasted bengal gram and amchoor powder(dry mango) mix well turn off the gas(spread the mix to cool a little).Once cooled use a spoon or your hands and stuff the skins with equal amounts of the mixture. Press the stuffing into the skins. You can use a little cotton thread to wrap around each one to help hold their stuffing in.

Final procedure: Add 3-5 tsps of oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Spread the stuffed karelas in the pan.Cover the pan and let it cook for about 2 minutes.Turn the karelas over to the uncooked side and cook for about 1 minute. Repeat until all four sides of the karelas are cooked.Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water and the remaining spice mixture over the karelas. Cover the pan and let it cook for 2 more minutes.Remove the lid to see if the karelas are tender. Gently turn them over a few more times, making sure they are covered with the spice mixture.Stuffed karela can be served hot or cold and can be refrigerated up to a week.