Bangladeshi Karela (Bitter Gourd)

The boy has wanted to try Karela (Bitter Gourd/Bitter Melon) for ages. I think it I the knobbly skin that appeals to him. It’s an acquired taste but I love it. This is a Bangladeshi recipe.

4 bitter gourds

4 tbsp salt

3 dried red chillies

3 fresh green chillies

50g onion, chopped

½ tsp panch poran

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

4tbsp oil

1tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

Panch poran is a mix of five spices – in this case it is even amounts of cumin, fennel, fenugreek, mustard seed and nigella seed.  It has a slightly aniseed tone.

Chop the dried chilli and slice the green chilli into fine rings.

Trim the ends of the karela. Halve them lengthways and remove the seeds with a teaspoon. Chop it lengthways into little half-moons. Sprinkle with salt and then just cover with water, to create a brine. This will get some of the bitterness out. The boy approves. Why, I don’t know, since he has never tasted them. Leave for an hour and listen to some Haydn string quartets.

Drain the karela. Add the chillies, onion, garlic, panch poran and mix well.

Heat the oil in large pan. Add the turmeric and when it is warmed through; add the karela mix and more salt.

Stir fry for about 4 minutes on a fairly high heat.

We are having this with rice and an onion and tomato salad with plenty of coriander.

The boy is not 100% sure about karela. He doesn’t dislike it though and that has to be counted as a success.