Oh how I love these tangy Kachche Aam wale Bharwan Karele…made UP style.
This is the recipe that had me hooked to Karelas almost 25 years ago…and since then my fondness for this bitter vegetable increases by the day!
Making these is a true labor of love for me, I like to make a big batch so I can eat it everyday for atleast a week!! :-).
Method:
Prepping the karelas…
Gently grate karela, reserve scrapings.
Slit and check to examine the seeds… If they are tender and white, leave them in. If they are pink and overripe…remove and discard.
Salt karela and scrapings.
Keep 2-3 hours or overnight. Next day rinse and squeeze out all water.
For the mango stuffing…
Peel and grate raw mango.
Heat oil (you can use mustard oil if you like) add the grated mango and karela scrapings.
Also add salt, haldi, red chili pwdr, dhania pwdr, coarsely ground saunf, minced green chillies and a little garam masala according to taste.
Cook till most of the water evaporates and it becomes golden brown.
Now you have two options…
Steamed, pan fried version
Steam Karelas lightly along with a couple of tbsp of water in a pressure cooker.
After one whistle, place cooker under running tap to release steam and open immediately.
(You can even steam them in a rice cooker if you like)
Now fill them liberally with mango stuffing, pressing the filling firmly inside.
Heat a tbsp of oil and sear the Karelas on medium high heat.
Turn karelas, while cooking…
making sure to sear all sides evenly.
If you like them crisp (like my hubby)….pan-sear them just before serving!
Deep Fried version
Rinse, pat dry and deep fry karelas in hot oil on high heat…
till golden crisp.
Carefully tip each karela to drain as much oil as possible and transfer to paper towel.
Fill the mango stuffing in the slit fried Karelas….ready!
These last easily for a week, and are also a great option for traveling! 🙂
More Recipes of Karele
Karele ke Chips
Karare Saunfia Karele
