Every region of India has its own recipe for Stuffed Bitter Gourd (karela). We as a country have embraced this intensely bitter vegetable and made it our own in numerous little delicious ways. Today’s post on Stuffed Bitter Gourd focuses on bharli karli – the Maharashtrian style of preparing it with a bold and spicy coconut-based filling.
How to prepare the bitter gourd
- For my Stuffed Bitter Gourd, I cut off the tip and tail of the gourds (you can retain the stalk for presentation purposes if you wish). Then, using a sharp knife, I make a slit along the length of each bitter gourd without halving them in two (see in the picture below). The next step is to scoop out the pulp and seeds from inside and make room for the stuffing.
- Bitter gourds can range from being mildly bitter to those that can make your hair stand with their intense astringence. Salt can help cut some of this sharpness. Many recipes suggest salting the vegetable intensely and then washing off the salt before cooking it. I don’t recommend this because it drains all the water and flavour from the bitter gourd. Instead, I lightly rub the insides of the prepared bitter gourds with a little salt and turmeric, turn them over and rest them in a colander for an hour. This way, some water is released yet the flavour and a slight bitterness is retained. I think the bitter taste accentuates the dish, complementing the heat and nuttiness of the stuffing. Salting seasons the gourds evenly and helps them cook quickly; salt is, after all, a curing agent.
- I’m generous while filling these gourd shells. Cooking will make the walls of the gourds soften and expand a little, so make sure to use up all the stuffing if you can. Once filled, I use thread or kitchen twine to tie the bitter gourds around the middle to prevent them from opening up while cooking. My karelas were long, so I used 2 pieces of string on each gourd.
How to make the stuffing for Stuffed Bitter Gourd
Kopra
What I love most about this recipe is its robust, hot, tangy, slightly smoky stuffing. This bright orange, spicy filling works like a delicious foil for the bitter tones of the gourd. Dried coconut or kopra is a much beloved ingredient used extensively in Marathi cooking. It is very often fried or roasted (sometimes on an open flame) and ground to make smoky masala pastes. In this recipe too, dry roasted and ground kopra forms the bulk of the stuffing.
Chillies
Chillies add flavour and colour to the stuffing masala. Three types of chillies – Kashmiri, Bydagi and Sankeshwari are used to add a bright red colour, mild, smoky heat and a punch of heat respectively. You can regulate the quantity of each based on how hot you want your dish to be. You can also substitute these with other types of chilli like Guntur, Madras or any other that you like.
Garlic
I think where there are chillies, garlic is a must. At least in this recipe. Leaving it out would be taking something vital out of the delicious amalgamation of flavours. Garlic is dry roasted to enhance its smoky savouriness.
Peanuts
Who doesn’t love roasted peanuts, right? They enrich the masala with warm, creamy toastiness that only peanuts can. They also balance out the heat.
Tamarind
Thick tamarind extract is blended with the stuffing to build another dimension to this complex, rich masala. The sourness is there without being overpowering and makes the bitter better.
Jaggery
Caramelly jaggery (gur) rounds off the flavour circle with a mild, earthy sweetness that simply hangs in the background without being cloying. I always feel that a little jaggery does wonders with bitter vegetables without making them taste sweet.
Now I know this seems like a long list of ingredients. It is. But, each one makes this stuffing masala sing, building layer upon layer of flavour, subtle and bold, making the humble Stuffed Bitter Gourd something to look forward to, savour and celebrate on your plate. Pair this dish with steaming rice dolloped with ghee and you will see how delicious the karela can be.
Stuffed Bitter Gourd
Ingredients
- 6 bitter gourds (karela),
- 1½ tbsp Groundnut or any other neutral vegetable oil
- Turmeric powder
- Salt
- Thread or kitchen twine to tie the bitter gourds
For the stuffing masala
- 1 kopra or dried coconut, cut into small slices
- 175 g peanuts
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 3 dried Kashmiri chillies
- 2 dried Bydagi chillies
- 2 dried Sankeshwari chillies
- ½ tbsp tamarind paste or pulp
- 1 tbsp jaggery
- A pinch of asafoetida
- Salt
Instructions
- Top and tail the bitter gourds. Cut in a slit along its length, leaving a centimetre at both ends. Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds.
- Rub the insides on the gourds with turmeric and salt and place upside-down in a colander to drain.
- To make the stuffing, heat a pan on low heat and roast the peanuts till they acquire a light char and give off a nutty aroma. Cool and rub off the papery skin.
- Add the sliced pieces of kopra into the same pan and roast, stirring intermittently. Once the coconut chips are golden brown, remove and cool.
- Next, roast the garlic, taking care not to burn them. Finally, lightly toast the dried chillies.
- Once all the roasted ingredients have cooled, grind them in a spice grinder along with the tamarind, asafoetida, jaggery and salt. Don't use water. You should have a coarse mixture.
- Stuff the drained bitter gourds with the ground masala and tie them securely with kitchen twine.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat till fairly hot and place the stuffed gourds in the pan, taking care not to overcrowd them. Cover the pan and cook the bitter gourd, turning them every 3-4 minutes, so that they are fried on all sides. Covering the pan will allow steam to cook the vegetable. In about 20 minutes, they should be softened and done as well as evenly browned.