Besanwali Karela Sabzi – a flavorful and nutritious Karela Sabzi made with a perfect balance of spices and gram flour, bringing out the best in this humble vegetable.
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About Besanwali Karela Sabzi
Besanwali Karela Sabzi is a delicious way to enjoy bitter gourds by balancing its natural bitterness with a medley of spices.
Bitter gourd, or karela, is often avoided due to its naturally bitter taste, but with the right preparation and spices, it transforms into a delicious and nutritious dish. This karela recipe is a perfect blend of flavors, balancing the bitterness with tangy dry mango powder, aromatic spices, and the nutty crunch of gram flour. Marinating the karela with salt and lemon juice helps mellow its bitterness. Cooked to perfection in an iron kadhai, this dish turns out beautifully crisp and flavorful. Serve it as a side dish with dal-rice or enjoy it with pulkas.
Step-wise instructions with pictures
Wash the bitter gourds thoroughly and slice them into thin rounds.
The tender, soft seeds need not be removed. However, the hard and tough seeds need to be removed before making the sabzi.
Transfer to a large bowl and add salt along with lemon juice. Mix well, cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, squeeze out all the excess moisture from the karela slices and discard the water.
In a bowl add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin coriander powder, garam masala, dry mango powder, gram flour and mix well.
Add this spice mixture to the karela slices and toss well to coat them evenly.
Heat oil in an iron kadhai. Add cumin seeds, carom seeds, fennel seeds, and asafoetida. Let them sizzle for a few seconds.
Add the spice-coated karela slices and mix well.
Cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the karela is cooked through and slightly crisp.
Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti, dal-rice, or as a side dish.
Recipe Card
Besanwali Karela Sabzi | Tasty Karela Sabzi
Ingredients
- 650 gms bitter gourds (Karela)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- salt as per taste
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp cumin coriander powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp dry mango powder (aamchur)
- 4 tbsp gram flour (besan)
- 3 to 4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- ½ tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (sauf)
- ½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
- Wash the bitter gourds thoroughly and slice them into thin rounds.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add salt along with lemon juice. Mix well,cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes. This helps reduce bitterness.
- After 30 minutes, squeeze out all the excess moisture from the karela slices and discard the water.
- In a bowl add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin coriander powder, garam masala, dry mango powder, gram flour and mix well.
- Add this spice mixture to the karela slices and toss well to coat them evenly.
- Heat oil in an iron kadhai.
- Add cumin seeds, carom seeds, fennel seeds, and asafoetida. Let them sizzle for a few seconds.
- Add the spice-coated karela slices and mix well.
- Cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the karela is cooked through and slightly crisp.
- Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti, dal-rice, or as a side dish.
Recipe Video
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