How To Cook Karela Pakistani Style

If you are having dawat or want to make your everyday dinner a little special try mutton karahi or beef haleem and karela ghost.

Karela is a traditional Pakistani dish that is enjoyed by many but disliked by some due to its bitter taste. It is typically made with bitter karela, onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and a variety of spices.

The bitter karela is cooked in oil, with the spices, until the desired texture is reached. The dish may be served as a side dish or as the main dish. It is often served with roti, naan, or paratha.

Karela is a healthy and nutritious dish, rich in essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron, and Magnesium. It is known to be a great source of dietary fibre, as well as being low in calories and fat. Due to its bitter taste, it is often served with sweet chutney or yoghurt to offset the bitterness

Whenever you hear the word “karela”, a bitter taste may come to mind. However, today I am going to share with you a delicious recipe that will make you love karela.

This recipe includes sautéing karela slices with onions and spices such as turmeric, red chilli powder, and coriander powder until they are cooked and slightly browned. Once they are cooked, add some chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften. Finally, top it off with some fresh cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice for added flavour. Enjoy!

Let’s make karela ghost (mutton with the bitter ground) step by step:

Ingredients;

-Karaley (Bitter gourd) ½ kg

-Namak (Salt) 1 tbs 

-Pani (Water) 

-Cooking oil 2 tbs

-Cooking oil 5-6 

-Pyaz (Onion) sliced 5 large

-Tamatar (Tomatoes) 5 large

-Mutton qeema (Mince) ½ kg 

-Adrak lehsan paste (Ginger garlic paste) 1 & ½ tbs

-Namak (Salt) 1 tsp or to taste

-Lal mirch powder (Red chilli powder) 1 & ½ tsp or to taste

-Garam masala powder 1 tsp

-Haldee powder (Turmeric powder) 1 tsp

-Imli pulp (Tamarind pulp) 1 & ½ tsp (optional) 

-Saunf (Fennel seeds) 1 tsp

-Kalonji (Nigella seeds) ½ tsp

-Pyaz (Onion) fried ½ Cup

-Hara dhania (Fresh coriander) chopped 

Directions:

-Peel bitter gourd with the help of the knife then deseed and cut into small pieces. 

-In a bowl, place strainer, add bitter gourd, and salt and mix well, cover and let it rest for 1-2 hours then wash thoroughly 2-3 times and squeeze properly to remove excess water.

-In the wok, add cooking oil and fry bitter gourd until light golden & take out in a bowl.

-Add cooking oil, and onion and fry until lightly golden.

-Add tomatoes and mix well, cover and cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes.

-Add chicken mince and mix well until the changes color.

-Add ginger garlic paste and mix well.

-Add salt, red chilli powder,garam masala powder, and turmeric powder, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

-Now add fried bitter gourd and mix well, cover and cook on low flame for 8-10 minutes then cook on high flame until oil separates.

-Add tamarind pulp, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, and fried onion and mix well, cover and simmer on low flame for 2-3 minutes.

-Garnish with fresh coriander & serve!

Some tips to remove bitterness;

1. After Cut, the karela (bitter ground ) wash thoroughly with water, and sprinkle some salt on it and leave for half an hour.  

This will remove all the bitterness from it.

1. Add yoghurt when you mix it with onion, tomatoes and chillies.

This will remove bitterness from it.

Serving ideas;

 Serve it with garam roti 

With green chutney which is made with coriander, chillies, yoghurt and mint.

With rice (i personally don’t recommend it ), but if you are a rice lover then, you 

must give it a try.

Nutrition facts;

This food item contains 419 kilocalories,

 13 grams of carbohydrates,          19 grams of protein, 

33 grams of fat,                               12 grams of saturated fat,   

 73 milligrams of cholesterol,          607 milligrams of sodium,

 779 milligrams of potassium,          5 grams of fiber, 

4 grams of sugar,                                1205 Units of Vitamin A, 

100 milligrams of

How many calories are in a cooked karela fry?

A single portion of Crispy Karela provides 506 calories, with 144 calories coming from carbohydrates, 28 calories from proteins, and the remaining 334 calories coming from fat.

FAQs 

Does karela cure diabetes?

The consumption of karela juice has been found to be highly effective in lowering blood sugar levels in those with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, so much so that the amount of medicine required to be taken by the patient can be reduced. It has also been observed to assist in the management of gestational diabetes.

Does gourd cause gas?

Therefore, certain vegetables like pumpkin, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, tomatoes and mushrooms are unlikely to cause gas formation in the digestive system, as they are low in fermentable carbohydrates and other fermentable fibres.

These vegetables are usually high in water content, which makes them easily digestible and reduces the likelihood of gas formation. Additionally, certain vegetables like pumpkin, bottle gourd and ridge gourd are rich in dietary fibres, which can help in the digestion process and reduce the chances of gas formation. Furthermore, tomatoes and mushrooms are low in calories and fat, and they contain antioxidants that can help to boost the body’s immunity and reduce the chances of gas formation.