Karela Masala Recipe, How to make Karela Sabji (Step By Step & Video)

Karela Masala recipe with step by step photos and video instructions is a delicious bitter gourd masala dry recipe.  You will love it once you taste it. Also, try the Bharwa Karela on the blog.

What is Karela Sabzi?

Karela sabji is nothing but the bitter gourd slices fried and added to an onion tomato masala. The karela masala recipe is not only tasty but also not bitter. The way we prepare this recipe takes out the bitterness from the karelas. If you have never enjoyed eating the karela masala recipe, then you should definitely dry this version. At least give it a try once before writing off this “not much loved” vegetable.

How to reduce the bitterness from the karela?

• Scrap the rugged outer skin of the karela.
• Cut into slices and add some salt to it. Let it rest for sometime and later squeeze out the water from it. This will help to reduce the bitterness as well.
• Remove the large seeds from the bitter gourd.
• The amchur powder helps to reduce the bitterness as well.

What is karela called in English?

Karela is called bitter gourd, bitter melon, bitter squash or balsam pear.

Is karela good for weight loss?

Apart from various health benefits, bitter gourd is a very low-calorie food. You can relish this vegetable in abundance if you can make it with less oil.

What the ingredients needed for making the karela masala?

For making the karela masala recipe, you will first have to fry the bitter gourd slices. Then it is added to an onion, tomato masala along with basic spices like the turmeric powder, red chili powder. Amchur powder is also added to reduce the bitterness from the karela.

Step By Step Pictorial process of making the Karela Sabji

1. Heat oil in a pan or kadai and add the bitter gourd slices.

2. Fry until the bitter gourd slices turn golden brown in color. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and set aside these fried bitter groud slices. Remove the oil from the pan except for about 1 tablespoon of it.

3. Add the sliced onions and fry till it turns translucent. Next, throw in the turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and amchur powder.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they turn soft and pulpy.

5. Add the fried bitter gourd slices at this time.

6. Mix well to coat and fry for a couple of minutes more. Serve hot with rice or roti.

For more recipes:

• Potato Podimas
• Cabbage Stir Fry
• Aloo Beans Sabzi
• cauliflower poriyal
• tandoori paneer tikka
• bhindi masala
• paneer lababdar

Let’s learn how to make the karela sabzi or karela masala recipe

Karela Masala Recipe, Karele ki Sabzi

Fareeha

If you have always avoided bitter gourd for it's taste, then this recipe is just what you need to change your taste buds.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Vegetarian

Cuisine Indian

Servings 2 people

Calories 284 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 250 gms bitter-gourd
• 2 onions sliced
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 tsp amchoor powder
• salt to taste
• oil for frying

Instructions

 

Cutting the karelas

• Scrape the rugged surface of the bitter gourd and cut them into slices. 
• Remove the large seeds and sprinkle some salt over it. Allow to rest for some time and squeeze out the water from it. This helps to reduce the bitterness from the karela.

Frying Karelas

• Heat oil in a frying pan and add the karela slices. Fry the bitter gourd(karela) till light brown in color.
• Remove the bitter gourd from oil using a slotted spoon and set aside this fried karela slices until further use. 

How to make the karela sabzi

• Remove the excess oil from the pan except for 1 tablespoon and add onions and fry till translucent.
• Add tomato, chili powder, turmeric, amchur powder, and salt. Mix well and cook covered until the tomato turns soft and pulpy.
• Next, add the fried bitter gourd slices and mix well. Fry for a couple of minutes more and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Video

Notes

• You can also fry the karela pieces directly without frying if you want to reduce calories from frying.
• Don't omit amchur powder as that helps to reduce the bitterness from the karela. 

Keyword karela sabzi, vegetarian side dish

Signing off until next time,

Fareeha.

This recipe was originally published in June 2015. It has been retested and updated with reader feedback. New Image, Step by Step Photos and Video has been added in December 2018.

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