Bharwan Karela (Home-Style Stuffed Bitter Gourd)
Make authentic Bharwan Karela with a tangy onion, green mango, spice, and jaggery stuffing. This easy stuffed bitter gourd recipe is full of homemade Indianflavor.
Servings: 5
Calories: 142kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6-8 medium karela bitter gourds; 500g
- 1 tablespoon salt for rubbing and soaking 18g
- ½ teaspoon salt for cooking, or to taste 3g
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped 200g
- 1 small raw green mango, finely chopped 100g
- ½ cup Karela peels (from the same karela), finely chopped 75g
- 2-3 green chilies, finely chopped 5g
- 2 teaspoon kalonji (nigella seeds) 6g
- 2 teaspoon anardana powder 6g
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder 3g
- ½ teaspoon turmeric 1.5g
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder 4g
- 2 tablespoon amchur 16g if mango isn’t available or not enough tart
- 2 tablespoon mustard oil or any cooking oil 28g
- 1 tablespoon jaggery 15g
Instructions
- Wash the karela, then peel them lightly—just enough to remove the tough outer bumps.
- Slit each karela lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, reserving any tender seeds for the stuffing.
- Rub salt over the karela, including inside each slit.
- Set aside for 15–20 minutes, then squeeze gently to remove some of the bitterness.
- Rinse well to remove the excess salt, then squeeze out as much water as possible.
- The rinsed and squeezed karela are now ready to be filled.
- In a bowl, combine the chopped onions, green mango, karela peels, and reserved tender seeds.
- Add the chopped green chilies.
- Add the kalonji, crushed anardana, red chili powder, turmeric, crushed fennel seeds, coriander powder, garam masala, amchur powder, and salt to taste.
- Add the jaggery powder.
- Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are evenly combined, then taste the stuffing and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Fill each karela firmly with the stuffing.
- If needed, tie each stuffed karela with kitchen thread to keep it closed.
- Once all the karela are filled, arrange them on a plate and set them aside until youare ready to cook.
- Heat the mustard oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat.
- Gently arrange the stuffed karela in the pan.
- Cover and cook over low heat for 35–45 minutes, turning the karela occasionally for even cooking.
- Allow them to brown slowly so the stuffing settles and the bitterness mellows.
- When the karela are almost done, add any leftover stuffing to the pan and cook everything together for a few more minutes.
- Once the karela are tender and lightly crisp, turn off the heat and let them rest briefly.
- Serve the bharwan karela with hot rotis, parathas, dal-chawal, or dahi. The flavors deepen overnight, so the dish tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition
Serving: 6g | Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 495mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1116IU | Vitamin C: 117mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg