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 or air fried bitter melon . Another delicacy is stuffed bittermelon or bharwa karela.
This is quite a delicacy. Even the most bitter vegetable can be relished with a taste of right spices. Magic of Indian cuisine! Learn to make this easy air fryer stuffed bittermelon recipe in easy steps.
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Equipment
- air fryer
- mixing bowl
- oil spray
Ingredients
- bitter melon/ bitter gourd/karela
- onions ,ginger garlic paste
- oil (read our blog page on best oil for indian cooking)
- Besan/chickpea flour
- spices( turmeric powder ,red chili powder ,amchur(dry mango powder)
- salt as per taste
Instructions (for stuffing)
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions with ginger garlic paste along with salt. Let it cook until onions are light brown, add besan (chickpea flour)
2. Add the spices , cook for few minutes.Once done, keep this stuffing aside.
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Instructions for the stuffed bittermelon (karela) recipe
- Wash bitter melon thoroughly.
2. Peel bitter gourd and scrape the skin and make cut/incision lengthwise.
3. Steam/boil the bittermelon for 15 minutes.
Tip: Steaming or boiling them also decreases the bitterness a little, as some varieties are more bitter than others.
4. Once they are steamed/boiled, they are ready to be stuffed and cooked in an air fryer.
5. Stuff the onion filling into the bitter melons.
6. Brush them with oil and transfer them to the air fryer.
7. Air fry for 15-17 minutes at 170 C| 340 F.
Serve hot with rice or roti.
air fryer stuffed karela recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer
- pan
- steamer
Ingredients
Bitter gourd stuffing
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 2 medium onion approx. 1.5 cup chopped onions
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste or use fresh
- 2 tablespoon besan chickpea flour or any lentil flour
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp. coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon dry mango powder optional, can be replaced with lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder / paprika or as per taste.
- Salt as per taste.
air fryer karela
- 5-6 small karela/bitter gourd 5-6 small karela (½ kg karela)
- 1 tbsp. oil for brushing.
- Salt for soaking in water.
Instructions
karela stuffing
- Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions, garlic-ginger paste along with salt.
- Let it cook until onions are light brown.Add the besan/chickpea flour
- Add the spices and cook for few minutes.Once done, keep this stuffing aside.
Bharwa karela masala
- Wash bitter melon thoroughly.
- Peel bitter gourd and scrape the skin and make incisions lengthwise.
- Steam/boil the bittermelon for 15 minutes.
- Once they are steamed/boiled, they are ready to be stuffed and cooked.
- Stuff the filling into the bittermelons.Optionally you can tie them up with a thread so that the filling does not come out.
- Brush them with oil and transfer them to the air fryer.
- Air fry for 15-17 minutes at 170C |340 F
- Serve hot with rice or roti.
FAQ
It is a great source of vitamin C.
It helps reduce bad cholesterol, thereby reducing risk of heart disease.
Substitution and Variations
- You can add gram flour/ besan /chickpea flour and some garam masala to this above stuffing to make your own version of air fryer bharwa karela. Some people also like to add crushed peanuts to it.
- 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. You can also make this recipe in a pan after stuffing them if you do not own an air fryer yet.
Eeb T says
Can this be done without scraping the skin? I like the little spiky things 🙂
bhavana bhatia says
Yes, absolutely.