Bitter Gourd cooked two ways

Stir fry bitter gourd
Bitter gourd is the most bitter of all culinary vegetables.  It’s a tropical vegetable probably originated in South-East Asia.  Although bitterness of this vegetable might turn some folks away but it can sweeten the life due to its disease preventing and health promoting compounds.
Bitter gourd is popularly called Karela in India.  It is very low in calories but very rich in dietary fiber.  Bitter Melons are rich in iron, beta carotene, twice the calcium of spinach and, twice the potassium of bananas, and contain Vitamins A, C, B1 to B3 and Phosphorus.
As for its medicinal value, Bitter Gourd has been reported to have hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) or other actions of potential benefit in treating diabetes.  It has anti malaria properties also. Bitter gourd is a blood purifier and hence works well in case of minor skin disorders.
Such nutritional vegetable when cooked  loses its bitterness to a large extent.  Bitter gourd known as karela in Hindi is a very popular side dish on any dinner table in India. It is cooked in two ways, as a stir fry chips with onions and as stuffed karelas. 
Stir fry chips is a dry vegetable and this is a quick and easy version which is often made in our house, when we do not have enough time for making stuffed karelas.  The ingredients used are similar in both these recipes, except for the method of cooking.

Ingredients:
5 or 6 medium bitter gourd(karela), 3 or 4 medium onions chopped julienne, 1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red pepper, 1 tsp amchoor powder(dry mango powder, salt to taste, 2 tbsp mustard oil, 1 clove of garlic.
Method:
Cut bitter gourd into chips(not too thin) and put them in a plate and sprinkle some salt and toss it.  Leave this aside for 5-6 hours. On a hot summer day you may leave this in the sunlight for one hour of so.  This process helps in taking the bitterness out of karelas.
When you are ready to cook, wash these salty karela chips under the running water, squeezing them in between so that salt and bitterness both get washed away.
Heat oil in a pan, put a clove of garlic, when garlic turns black, take it out and discard it.
Bring flame to medium and stir fry the karela chips for 5-7 minutes or till they turn reddish brown. Take them out of the pan.
Now sauté the onion in the left over oil in the pan.   When onion turns golden brown, add fried karelas to it.
Add coriander powder, turmeric, red pepper, amchoor powder and salt. Cover the pan for two minutes. Uncover and serve hot with parantha, or chapatti.




Stuffed Bitter Gourd (Bharwa Karela)
This recipe has been in my family for generations.  The stuffing of the karela makes this a real yummy dish. I remember when I made it for the first time for a party at my sister’s home, my brother in law put them away and refused to serve them to guests.  He said he would eat only two per day and that way they will last for at least 10 days.

Since these karelas are cooked in mustard oil, they can last 10 days easily in the refrigerator.  For this recipe you need karelas which are palm size. 
Just scrape the ridges of the karela very lightly and put a slit in the middle length wise. Rub some salt on these and put them aside for 4-5 hours or in the scorching sun for two hours.  When you are ready to cook these wash them under the running water.  Squeeze every piece of karela gently to wash off salt and bitterness.


Ingredients for stuffing:
2 medium unripe mangoes, 1 ½ tsp coriander seeds, 2 tsp anise, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 2 green chilies(optional), salt to taste,  1 tsp mustard oil, 1 clove of garlic

Method for stuffing:
Peel off raw mangoes, make small slices of the pulp part and discard the stone.
Grind together mango slices, coriander seeds, anise, turmeric, green chilies and salt in a blender.
Heat mustard oil and put a clove of garlic till it turns black. Discard the garlic and cook the stuffing blend on the slow flame for five minutes or so. Put it aside.

Ingredients :
Washed karela, ½  tsp of cumin seeds, 1 tsp of garam masala or curry powder, 2 tbsp of mustard oil, 1 clove of garlic

Method:
Heat oil in a pan, put a clove of garlic and discard it when it turns black.
Reduce flame to medium and stir fry karelas till they turn reddish brown.
Turn off the flame and take karelas out in a plate. Let them cool off for a couple of minutes.
Now fill these karelas with the prepared stuffing, pressing at times with your thumb so that more stuffing can fit in.
Once all the karelas are stuffed, turn on the flame on slow. Put karelas into the pan and cook them for five minutes or so. When they turn little stiff, sprinkle garam massala and turn off the flame.
Enjoy with Nan, Parantha or tandoori roti.