Hagalakayi Palya (Bitter Gourd Stir Fry - Karnataka style)

 

           Hagalakayi Palya is a traditional bitter gourd recipe from the state of Karnataka. This simple side dish is just amazing and so easy to prepare. It is a great accompaniment to curd rice. However, you can also relish with steamed rice or chapatti. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe top prepare this regional stir fry recipe. 

           Bitter Gourd in general is a very healthy veggie and is also diabetic friendly as it regulates the blood sugar levels. However, it is not too popular because of its bitterness. I assure you this Hagalakayi Palya will be liked by many as there is no bitterness after the marination.

• 2 medium size bottle gourd, deseeded & sliced
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 dry red chili
• 1 tsp. urad dal (Split black lentil)
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. amchur (dry mango powder)
• 1 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp. sambar powder
• 1/3 cup fresh grated coconut
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Marinate the bitter gourd with some salt for 10-15 minutes. Wash well, rinse and squeeze out all excess water. Keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan. Temper with dry red chili, mustard seeds, urad dal, slit green chilies and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add the bitter gourd, salt to taste and turmeric powder. Sauté on a low to medium flame till tender. 

          Now add the chopped onion and continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

          Then add the amchur powder, sambar powder and red chili powder. Sauté further for a minute.

           Add the fresh grated coconut and give it a stir. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice, curd rice or chapatti. 

                        Marinate the bitter gourd with some salt for 10-15 minutes. Wash well,

                        rinse and squeeze out all excess water. Keep aside. 

                        Heat oil & temper with dry red chili, mustard seeds, urad dal, slit green

                        chilies and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds. 

                    Add the bitter gourd, salt to taste & turmeric powder. Sauté on a low to 

                    medium flame till tender. 

                           Now add the chopped onion & continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

                       Add amchur, sambar powder & red chili powder. Sauté for a minute.

                       Add fresh grated coconut & give it a stir. Garnish with coriander leaves.

                                  Serve with steamed rice, curd rice or chapatti. 

Bitter Gourd (Karela) Chutney

          All Bitter Gourd lovers will simply love this amazing chutney. It was my first try and I really fell in love with this side dish. A very easy recipe, it simply tastes yummy with hot steamed rice and a drizzle of some extra ghee. It is lip smacking with all the flavours in it - spicy, tangy, sweet and a slight hint of bitterness. You may also relish it with chapati, curd rice, idli or dosa. It is definitely a must try recipe.

• 4 long bitter gourd, seeds discarded & sliced
• 8-10 dry red chilies 
• 1 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp. split black gram (urad dal)
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1-2 tsp. tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp. jaggery / sugar to taste
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds 
• 1-2 sprigs curry leaves

          Add some salt and turmeric powder to the sliced bitter gourd and leave aside for 30 minutes. Then rinse well and squeeze properly. 

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil and fry the bitter gourd, turmeric powder and salt to taste on a low flame till golden brown in colour. Keep aside to cool.

          Heat remaining oil and fry the other ingredients starting from - dry red chilies to black gram. Keep aside to cool.

          Dry roast the coconut till golden in colour and set aside to cool.

          Grind into a paste all the stir fried ingredients along with tamarind, jaggery, salt to taste and required quantity of water.

         Heat ghee in a pan and temper with mustard seeds. After it stops spluttering, add the curry leaves and asafoetida. 

          Sauté for a few seconds and switch off the flame. Pour this tempering over the chutney and relish with plain steamed rice or chapatti. 

Bharwan Keema Karela (Bitter Gourd stuffed with Chicken Mince)

          For all the bitter gourd lovers and non lovers too, this yummy stuffed keema karela is to be relished. It is simply irresistible. This wonder veggie has numerous health benefits and is particularly good for diabetics. I made use of chicken mince, you may use mutton mince instead. 

          So why not try this amazing side dish and enjoy with any form of rice preparation or Indian bread? For more variation you can make a gravy and dunk these stuffed gourds into it. So check out an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

• 8-10 small size bitter gourds
• 200 gms. chicken mince, washed & drained
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 5 tbsp. oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 1 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves, chopped

          Scrape the bitter gourds, make a slit and discard the seeds. Apply some salt to the bitter gourd and also to the scraped pieces and leave aside for an hour. Rinse well and squeeze off excess water. Keep aside. 

          Make a paste with ginger-garlic, tomato paste, all the dry spices and some water. Keep aside. 

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and sauté the scraped pieces along with a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Keep aside.

          Heat 2 tbsp. oil and stir fry the onions till light brown. Now add the prepared paste and mix well. Sauté till the oil separates.

          Add the mince and mix to combine well. Add the green peas and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the sautéed scraped bitter gourd, cover and cook till the moisture is all absorbed.

          When done, add the ghee and coriander leaves. Give it a stir and set aside to cool. Stuff the slit bitter gourds with the prepared keema and tie with a thread. 

          Heat remaining oil in a pan and arrange the stuffed bitter gourds. Cover and cook till it is nicely fried on both sides. Transfer to a serving plate and serve along with remaining keema. 

          This dish can be relished with plain steamed rice, jeera rice, plain biryani, pulao or an type of Indian bread. 

                      Scrape bitter gourds, make a slit & discard seeds. Apply some salt to
                      the bitter gourd & to the scraped pieces & leave aside for an hour. 
                      Rinse well & squeeze off excess water. Keep aside. 

                       Heat 1 tbsp. oil & sauté scraped pieces with a pinch of salt, turmeric
                       powder & red chili powder. Keep aside.

                               Heat 2 tbsp. oil and stir fry the onions till light brown. 

                              Add prepared paste & mix well. Sauté till the oil separates.

                                 Add the mince and mix to combine well. 

                                 Add green peas and cook for 4-5 minutes. 

                         Add sautéed scraped bitter gourd, cover & cook till the moisture is
                         all absorbed.

                                When done, add ghee & coriander leaves. Set aside to cool. 

                          Stuff slit bitter gourds with prepared keema & tie with a thread. 

                                 Heat remaining oil & arrange the stuffed bitter gourds.

                                 Cover & cook till it is nicely fried on both sides. 

                       Transfer to a serving plate & serve along with remaining keema. 

                       Relish with steamed rice, jeera rice, plain biryani, pulao or an type
                       of Indian bread. 

Batter Fried Stuffed Bitter Gourd

            If you are a Karela / Bitter Gourd lover, then you will definitely relish this dish. These yummy batter fried stuffed karelas are best had as a side dish with either rice or chapattis. If you are a bit of an adventurous type, have them as appetizers with any chutney. 

           If you can get hold of the smaller variety, that would be absolutely perfect for this recipe. So go ahead and give it a try by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it and enjoy them as per your choice.

• 2 long Bitter Gourd / 4-5 small ones
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated coconut
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. flax seed (opt)
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp. roasted chickpea flour
• 1/2 cup besan (gram flour)
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• oil to deep fry

          Scrape the karelas / bitter gourds and scoop out the pulp. Cut each into 3-4 pieces. Apply salt to them and to the scraped mix and leave them aside for 20-25 minutes. 

          Make a batter with besan, turmeric powder, pinch of salt and red chili powder with required quantity of water. The batter should not be too thick or too thin. Keep aside.

          Wash the scraped mix well under running water and transfer onto a kitchen towel. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and sauté the garlic till they slightly changes colour. 

          Now add the coconut and sauté till light brown. Then add the scraped karela skin and the pulp along with all the dry spices. Continue to fry on a medium flame for 4-5 minutes.

          Add the tamarind paste. Mix well and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the flame and add the roasted chickpea flour. Toss well, cover and keep aside to cool down.

          Fill each of the karela pieces with the stuffing and keep aside. Heat remaining oil for deep frying. Take the stuffed karela and coat them in the batter and gently drop them in the hot oil.

          Deep fry them in batches on a medium flame till golden in colour on all sides. Drain on a kitchen towel. 

          Serve as a side dish with either rice / chapatti or as appetizers with any chutney.

                    Scrape karelas & scoop out the pulp. Cut each into 3-4 pieces. Apply salt 
                    to them & to the scraped mix & leave aside for 20-25 minutes. Wash them 
                    well under running water & transfer onto a kitchen towel. 

                 Heat 2 tbsp. oil & sauté garlic till it changes colour. Add coconut & sauté till 
                 light brown. Add scraped karela peel & pulp & all dry spices. Fry on med. 
                 flame for 4-5 min. Add tamarind paste. Mix well & sauté for 2-3 min. Switch
                 off flame & add roasted chickpea flour. Toss well, cover & keep aside to cool.

                                  Fill each karela pieces with the stuffing & keep aside. 

                 Make a batter with besan, turmeric powder, pinch of salt & red chili powder
                 with some water. The batter should not be too thick or too thin. 

                    Heat remaining oil. Take the stuffed karela & coat them in the batter &
                    drop in hot oil. Deep fry on med. flame till golden in colour on all sides. 

                                 Drain on a kitchen towel.

                    Serve them hot as a tea-time snack or as a side dish with either rice or
                    chapati......

                           ......or cut them in slices & serve as appetizers with any chutney.