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
- oil
- turmeric powder
- red chili powder / paprika
- salt as per taste
Instructions (for stuffing)
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions, chilies along with salt.
2. Let it cook until onions are light brown.
3. Mix paprika, turmeric powder and salt. If you do not have these, add curry powder with salt instead. Add saunf (crushed fennel seeds) with amchur(dry mango powder) .Once done, keep this stuffing aside.
Instructions for the stuffed bittermelon (karela)
- Wash bitter melon thoroughly.
2. Peel bitter gourd and scrape the skin and make cut/incision lengthwise.
3. Soak in water with salt for 1 hour or more. Drain the bittermelon after soaking it in salt water. 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 13-14 minutes at 180 C| 356 F.
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. You can also make this recipe in a pan after stuffing them if you do not own an air fryer yet.
Variation
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.
Storage
Store this for 2-4 days in refrigerator.
Serving Suggestions
Serve hot with rice or roti.
Food safety
Always reheat the left overs.
Related links
air fryer stuffed karela recipe
Equipment
- pan
- steamer
Ingredients
Bitter gourd stuffing
- 2 medium onion approx. 1.5 cup chopped onions
- ½ cup raw mango optional, (can be replaced with 1 tbsp. dry mango powder and ½ cup onion when not in season)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp. coriander powder
- 2 tbsp. fennel coarsely crushed
- 1 tbsp. dry mango powder optional, required only when raw mango is not available.
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder / paprika or as per taste.
- 1 tbsp. oil
- Salt as per taste.
air fryer karela
- 5-6 small karela/bitter gourd
- 1 tbsp. oil for brushing.
- Salt for soaking in water.
Instructions
karela stuffing
- Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions, chilies along with salt.
- Let it cook until onions are light brown.
- Mix red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. If you do not have these, add curry powder with salt instead . Add the crushed fennel seeds with amchur(dry mango powder) .Once done, keep this stuffing aside.
Bharwa karela masala
- Wash bitter melon thoroughly.
- Peel bitter gourd and scrape the skin and make incisions lengthwise.
- Soak in water with salt for 1 hour or more. Drain the bittermelon after soaking it in salt water. Steam/boil the bittermelon for 15 minutes.
- Once they are steamed/boiled, they are ready to be stuffed and cooked.
- Stuff the onion filling into the bittermelons.
- Brush them with oil and transfer them to the air fryer.
- Air fry for 13-14 minutes at 180C |360 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.
Please share your inputs..