Kakarakaya Ullipaya Vepudu | Karela Fry | Bittergourd Stir Fry

I have mentioned earlier that Bitter gourd is a favorite vegetable at my In-laws place and TH is a big fan of this vegetable that I end up making karela fry very often.While TH does not bother about the bitterness of karela,I cannot take so much bitterness and hence in order to reduce the bitterness I boil the bittergourd in tamarind water and also add a bit of sugar which helps in caramelization of onions and lends a slight sweet taste to bitter gourd.This fry is a must try for all those bitter gourd lovers and also for those who do not prefer it much. Now off to the recipe.

Kakarakaya Ullipaya Vepudu | Karela Fry | Bittergourd Stir Fry:

Serves 2

Prep time:5 mins | Cooking time:20 mins | Total time:25 mins

Category:Indian | Cuisine:Side dish

Ingredients:

4-5 Bitter gourds

1 large Onion,finely chopped

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1 tsp Sugar,optional

2-3 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Optional ingredients to reduce bitterness:

2 tbsp Tamarind pulp

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Salt

Method:

• Wash and wipe bitter gourds,slice them into thin rounds.Add some salt and turmeric powder to it and mix well,leave it aside for half an hour and squeeze the water from it and keep aside.
  optional step: If you want to reduce the bitterness of bitter gourd you can alternatively boil them in tamarind water by following this procedure.Mix tamarind pulp with salt,turmeric and enough water and let it boil and add the bitter gourd pieces and cook until soft.Drain the pieces and let them cool.This process helps in removing the bitterness of bitter gourd.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan and add bitter gourd slices and fry them on low flame for 8-10 mins until they turn sightly crisp.
• Add finely chopped onions and fry for 3-4 mins.Add a tsp of sugar and fry for another 2 mins.The addition of sugar helps in caramelization of onions and lends a sweet taste to bitter gourd.
• Add salt and chilli powder to it and fry for a minute.

Serve it hot with hot rice and ghee or as a side dish with sambar/rasam rice.

Notes:

1. You can add roasted sesame seed powder at the end, it adds nice taste to fry.
2. The addition of sugar is optional,but I recommend to use it.

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