Khatta Mittha Karela (Bitter Gourd)

Everyone knows that Karela (Bitter Gourd) is full of health benefits and nutrition but knowing health benefits of karela is one thing and eating karela due to its bitterness is other. Here I am sharing recipe of Khatta Meetha Karela which removes the bitterness of karela and give its a unique taste.
Khatta Meetha Karela is liked by one and all. Its easy to cook and is full of nutritional benefits. Even you can serve this as party dish also to surprise guests with the Khatta Meetha version of Karela. You can also make Karela Fritters. I have shared the recipe of Karela Fritters already in my blog.

Ingredients:

1. Bitter gourd(karela): 2 medium sized chopped
2. Onion: 1 medium sized chopped
3. Tomato: 1 medium
4. Garlic: 2 pods
5. Ginger:
6. Turmeric powder: 2 tsp
7. Red Chilli powder: 1 tsp
8. Kitchen king/ Garam Masala: 1 tsp
9. Jaggery: 2 small lemon size
10. Tamarind : 1/2 of lemon size
11. Salt: As per taste

Method of Preparation

1. Take bitter gourd in a pressure cooker,add turmeric powder, salt and water. Cook it until one whistle.
2. Mean while, soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup water.
3. When pressure comes out from cooker, take the bitter gourd in a strainer and drain all water.

4.  Now take a pan and heat it, add oil in this pan, Add grated garlic, chopped onions and stir it.
5.  Now take a grinder jar, add tomato in this and make a paste of it.
6.  Now add this tomato paste in to pan and cook it until oil separate from onion and tomato mixture. 7.  Add red chilli powder, kitchen king/garam masala in onion tomato mixture.
8.  Add strained bitter gourd in pan and saute it for 1 minute on medium flame.

9.  Meanwhile, mash the soaked tamarind and take out all wastage from tamarind juice and keep juice aside.
10. Now add jaggery and tamarind juice to bitter gourd in pan. Cover it and cook it on medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Take it out in serving bowl and serve it with hot chapatis and parathas as a side dish.

Tips:

1. Step no. 1 in method of Preparation is very important. Cooking in pressure cooker with salt and turmeric powder removes all bitterness of bitter gourd. Cooking until 1 whistles is enough. So don't skip this step.
2. You can take garlic paste instead of grated garlic.
3. If you have no tamarind then you can use 2 tsp dry mango powder (amchur) instead of tamarind.
4. You can add 1 lemon size of jaggery instead of 2, depending on your taste and health point (for calorie conscious or diabetic).
5. Adding salt and turmeric in pan separately is not required as we have already added them in pressure cooker.