Crispy Bitter Gourd (Karela) Salad

Bitter Gourd ( Karela, Tite Karela) is a common vegetable in many Indian and Nepali kitchens.I love this vegetable for all it healthy qualities (controls blood sugar, acts as a laxative, high in vitamins and minerals , improves immunity) and yes, I also love its bitter taste 🙂 … We cook bitter gourd in many different ways in my home. As a vegetable, in our “achars” and salad. This recipe for crispy fried bitter gourd salad is my Mom’s recipe. She loves salads and always has one on her lunch menu. This is one of my favorite salads and it taste really delicious. Enjoy 🙂 Happy Cooking ! ~ Kamakshi

Prep Time : 15 mins                                                             Cook Time : 20 mins
Serves : 4

INGREDIENTS

For the Crispy bitter gourd fries :

  • 4-5 Bitter gourd (Karela) , big long ones ( use more if  you have the smaller ones)
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric (Haldi) Powder
  • 3 tbsp Chick Pea powder ( Besan) or Rice Flour
  • 1 tsp Chilli Powder
  • Salt as per taste
  • Oil for deep frying
Other Salad Ingredients
  • 2 Large Firm Tomatoes , sliced into julienne
  • 3-5 Green Chillies, thinly sliced
  • 2 Green Onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 Red Onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup Mung Bean Sprouts ( Optional)
  • 2 Sprig Coriander /Cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 tsp Aginomoto (Optional)
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
  • Salt

METHOD

  • Wash the bitter gourd, gently scrape the outer covering ( you may also use the bitter gourd as is ) and cut it into uniform thin slices. Add the turmeric, salt, chick pea powder, chilli powder and about 2-3 tbsp  water and mix it well into the sliced bitter gourd.  Heat sufficient oil ( about 1 1/2 cup) in a pan and add in half of the sliced bitter gourd. To get even fried slices, you should fry the bitter gourd in batches and make sure that they do not stick to each other.
  • Fry over medium flame until the bubbles cease and the slices become golden brown and light in weight. Drain on paper towels.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the fried bitter gourd slices and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, adjust the seasonings and serve immediately.

P.S : After frying most of the bitterness of the bitter gourd goes away. If you do not like the bitter taste, then this is the perfect recipe 🙂