Bitter melon or bitter gourd is known by many names. Karela(Hindi) or kakarkaya(Telugu). It is something which you either love or get totally put off by. I took my time to like this curry but now I m hooked to it. It can be pan fried or you can make as karela chips.
Air fryer bittermelon is best served with a yellow dal or plain kadhi. Trust me, if you want to eat sweet all life, learn to appreciate, the bitter. Air fried karela fry is an easy sides with roti even when you travel. It stays longer especially when you want to avoid food cooked outside and have to travel long distances. This curry along with fried okra were always in our tiffin when we went by train.
Long journey, no takeaways life was quite different & simpler then. As kids we would avoid bitter gourd and so okra was for us , while mum would munch away the fried karela and stuffed karela leaving us in awe. How can someone eat something so bitter? Now, that we have grown up, we travel lesser by train and eat less fried, yet we always make both bitter gourd and okra in our air fryer, appreciating both the veggies. Learn to make this easy curry here.
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Equipment
- air fryer
- mixing bowl
- oil spray
Ingredients
- bitter melon/ bitter gourd
- onions
- ginger- garlic- green chili
- oil
- turmeric powder
- red chili powder / paprika
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Cut the bitter melon and soak in water with salt for 1 hour or more. Drain the bittermelon after soaking it in salt water.Toss with oil.
2. Preheat the air fryer for 10 mins at 160 C| 320 F and place the bittermelon in the basket.
3. In a mixing bowl, add sliced onions, chillies along with salt
4. Air fry it for 9 -10 mins at 160 C| 320 F.
5. Add the air fried bittermelon to onions and spices in the mixing bowl. Mix paprika, turmeric powder and salt. If you do not have these, add curry powder with salt instead.
6. Now, air fry the veggies again for 13-14 mins at 160 C|320 F.
7. Serve hot with rice or roti.
Substitution
You can use frozen ampalaya instead of raw. Cooking time might vary slightly. It may not be as crispy though as it already has higher water content in it.
Variation
You can add air fried potatoes to this above curry to make your own version of air fryer bhindi aloo.
You can also make stuffed bitter gourd i.e. karela, follow the recipe of stuffed karela
Storage
Store this for 2-4 days in refrigerator.
Food safety
Always reheat the left overs.
Related links
Bitter gourd fry recipe
Equipment
- Food processor
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 500 gm bittermelon bitter gourd / karela
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 2 medium onions small or 1 medium , sliced
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder /paprika as per taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Cut the bitter melon and soak in water with salt for 1 hour or more. Drain the bitter melon after soaking it in salt water.Toss with 1 tablespoon oil.
- Preheat the air fryer for 10 mins at 160 C| 320 F and place the bittermelon in the basket.
- In a mixing bowl, add sliced onions, chillies along with salt
- Air fry it for 9 -10 mins at 160 C| 320 F.
- Add the air fried bittermelon to onions and spices in the mixing bowl. Mix paprika, turmeric powder and salt. If you do not have these, add curry powder with salt instead.
- Now, air fry the veggies again for 13-14 mins at 160 C|320 F.
- Serve hot with rice or roti.
Notes
FAQ
It is a great source of vitamin C.
It helps reduce bad cholesterol, thereby reducing risk of heart disease.
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