Rifat's Bitter Gourds (Karela)

This is another recipe from my friend Rifat. I wanted to know what to do with Karela, the ridged gourds that are supposed to help lower blood sugar. West Indians call them Christophene.  This is Rifat’s recipe, verbatim:

For four gourds use 2 medium size onions (onion medium sliced 1 onion finely sliced)

1 medium to large vine tomato or plum – quartered

3 cloves of garlic

1 small pepper - 1 inch squares or there about

A good generous amount of coriander with stalks

4 green chillies halved

2 pinches of coriander seeds

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp  paprika powder

1 tsp  chilli flakes

1 ½ tsp salt

½ tsp coarse black powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp coriander powder

Wash the gourd

Remove excess water for the gourd

Slice the gourd width ways about 1 cm

If the seeds are dry remove them if they are not dry keep them but you can remove some.

Deep fry the sliced gourd on medium heat until shades of brown appear on the skin

Leave the gourd to drain all the excess oil on paper towel

It is best to cook this in a wok with a lid or a big wide pot so there is a lot of room

Pour some oil into the wok (not too little enough for all the onions to be covered but not too much they are swimming around in there) Throw in the medium sliced onion

and the salt

and the tomato

and the chillies

and the garlic

and the coriander seeds  - on medium heat stir them all about for a 5 -7 minutes

The aim is not to colour the onions but to soften them and the tomato

When the onions are limp throw in the rest of the seasoning  

Stir on a high heat

Throw in the pepper

Throw in the rest of the onions

Stir stir stir

Throw in half the coriander

Turn heat to low for several minutes … add a little water at a time if things start to stick

Add in the fried gourd and stir for a couple of minutes on high heat

Add a little water at a time if things start to stick - on low heat stick the lid on and leave for 5 minutes

Turn off the heat and add the rest of the coriander

Done