This green knobby bitter vegetable has a special place in my heart and my kitchen. Karela or Bitter gourd has a list of very impressive benefits that it just validates the “food is medicine” phrase. To name a few- it purifies your blood, enhances your skins, manages diabetes, good for gut and cardiac health.

Aside from the benefits that deserve a standing ovation, it tastes amazing. We use in in our morning juices and eat slices preserves in salt and lime. This recipe however, takes the mighty Karela to the dinner table.

My Karelas are fresh, tender and straight from the vine so I have not scraped off the knobs. If you do scrape them off, please don’t throw them away – you can use them in making Roti ( recipe on the blog). I also sliced them seeds and all because it was a young vegetables. If seeds are hard you can remove them.

This recipe used 3 fresh gourds small to medium in size. Wash and slice 1/4 inch thick pieces. Salt  using sea or Himalayan salt and let them sit in a colander for 30 mins or so. Squeeze out the salty water from the pieces using your hands and place them on a dish towel patting them dry.

Add oil to a work and fry the pieces under lightly browed on both slides. Remove and drain on paper.

Now its time to spice it up with turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder and coriander powder. Remember the pieces were already salted so wait to add any additional salt.

Once the spices are mixed well, add the fried karela pieces. Combine and cook on slow flame for 10 minutes until everything is combined well. Check the salt at this stage and add if you need more.

Squeeze the juice of half a lime, top with cilantro and serve with roti or rice.

Joining Fiesta Friday this week the fabulous Juhls is co-hosting!

Also linking at Whats for Dinner Sunday Linkup