Before you say "Oh no! not this!" I urge you to try this bitter melon recipe. This simple recipe will get your taste buds tingling!
In this vegan curry, the bitterness of the vegetable is tamed and beautifully balanced with the sweet, sour and spices to make it such a delicious side dish that you can enjoy with roti or rice.
Also known as karela (in Hindi) and kakarakaya (in Telugu), bitter melon is respected in Ayurveda, the ancient science of healing and wellbeing for its medicinal and healing properties.
What I love about this karela curry recipe is that it is not fancy, not dainty either!
What is that one vegetable that you used to hate as a kid and now have learnt to enjoy it? Do let me know in the comments below. Would love to hear about your experience.
Ingredients for bitter melon recipe
Bitter Melon (Gourd): I use the dark green variety. Look for ones that are tender, firm and with no yellow spots on them. Yellow spots indicate that they are not young and tender. Bitter gourds are available in most Indian/ Asian greengrocers.
Jaggery: If you do not already know, jaggery is unrefined, natural cane sugar. It adds a lovely caramelly flavor to the dish....mmm, yum! You can get jaggery in Indian/Asian supermarkets in the form of blocks, cubes or ready powdered. If you do not have jaggery, you may use soft, brown sugar instead.
Tamarind Extract: The bitter gourd recipes that hail from South India most commonly use tamarind as the souring agent that helps balance the natural bitterness of the vegetable. In North India, dry mango powder (amchur) is most commonly used as the souring agent.
I make tamarind extract at home. It is easy! Here is a video of how I make it.
Or read this post about how to make tamarind paste.
Chickpea Flour (Besan): This helps to bind the juices.
Ground Red Chilli - I use mild and bright colored Kashmiri red chilli powder. You may use paprika.
Asafetida - Powdered asafetida that is most commonly found in shops has gluten (plain flour) in it. There are some brands that sell gluten-free asafetida - look for those.
Curry Leaves - You may use fresh leaves (available in most Indian greengrocers) or the dried variety (available in most health and wellness stores).
Please check the recipe card below for the exact measurements of all the ingredients.
About bitter melon
Bitter melon or bitter gourd as it is also called belongs to the gourd family and is closely related to courgettes, cucumbers and squash - difficult to relate to that right, considering how bitter it is?!
This bumpy, lumpy, odd looking veggie has been hugely respected for its medicinal properties long before it became an ingredient in recipes! Bitter squash, karela, balsam pear and goya are some os the names this vegetable is know as in various parts of the world.
How to cook bitter gourd to remove its bitterness?
All the steps that I have explained in this recipe i.e boiling the gourd pieces in salted water with tamarind, adding jaggery, the spices and the chickpea flour help in reducing the bitterness.
Here are few other ways to reduce the bitterness of the gourd (not for this recipe, though)
- Sprinkle some salt over the chopped gourd pieces and let them sit for 10 minutes. Rinse in water and then squeeze out the water.
- Chop the gourd and soak in buttermilk for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and squeeze out the water.
- Combine and cook with other sweet tasting vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and butternut squash.
How to make this recipe
Now that we have all the ingredients, let us go to the kitchen and make this easy, delicious side dish, shall we?
STEP 1: Start by prepping the bitter gourd. We are using 3 tender and firm (weighing approximately 200g) gourds. Wash and cut each gourd into rounds - about ½ cm thick. Do note that we are not peeling the skin nor are we discarding the pith.
STEP 2: In a saucepan, bring 300 ml of water to boil. Add the salt, turmeric and tamarind extract.Add the chopped gourds. Cook till the vegetable is soft, but not fully cooked. This will take take 5-7 minutes.
Once cooked, drain (discard the water) and keep aside.
STEP 3: Now let's make the curry. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan on medium high heat. Add the chickpea lentils. When the lentils start turning brown, add the rest of the spices - mustard seeds, red chilli, asafoetida and curry leaves. Wait till the mustard seeds begin to splutter.
STEP 4: Add the bitter gourd pieces (that we had boiled and drained), the jaggery and ground red chilli. Stir. Almost immediately you will notice that the jaggery begins to melt and caramelize. Reduce the heat from medium-high to medium-low. Let the jaggery melt completely and coat the vegetable. This step will take 3-4 minutes. Bear in mind that the heat should be medium-low.
Note: The syrup that is made by melting jaggery and the moisture from the gourd pieces, should be sufficient to fully cook the gourd. If at this point you find that the dish is dry and the spices are sticking to the bottom of the pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
STEP 5: Now sprinkle the chickpea flour evenly over the gourd. Mix gently. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat and serve.
Note: The flour will help bind the syrup, juices and the spices and coat the gourd evenly, giving the curry a lovely, thick texture.
Serving suggestions
At home, I like to serve this kakarakaya curry (kakarakaya = bitter gourd in Telugu language) with hot rice, ghee, dal and this easy raita recipe.
This curry tastes good with flatbread as well - soft chapatis, plain paratha. Pair it with this delicious wheat free roti and mung bean curry to make a sumptuous gluten free meal.
Pro Tips and Notes
- Cut the gourd in even size, approximately ½ cm thick. Cutting them too thin will turn them into mush and ruin the texture of the dish.
- Do not cover the pan when boiling the gourd pieces. This is to avoid overcooking. We want the gourd to be cooked and hold their shape. They will finish cooking in the pan with the spices.
- Begin by keeping the heat at medium-high. This will help fry the spices to a golden brown and evenly.
- After adding the jaggery, turn the heat down to medium-low. This is help avoid burning the jaggery.
Why you will love this bitter gourd recipe
I find sweet, sour and spicy dishes such as this one and this pumpkin and vegetable stew so rich in depth and flavour. They hit so many notes at the same time and create a perfect harmony in my palate!
These are the reasons why you will love this recipe:
The dish looks so attractive.
The bitterness of the gourd is beautifully balanced with the sweet, sour and mild spices.
This recipe is a great way to give this intriguing, under-appreciated, yet healthy vegetable to your child.
Your toddler will enjoy holding the bitter gourd rounds and eat independently.
The textures and flavours of this dish will be a challenge that your child may enjoy.
The recipe is easy to make and tastes delicious!
This dish is vegan, gluten free and grain free.
About this recipe
This is a traditional recipe from the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. This dish has been handed down to me my by mum who learnt it from her mother-in-law who had it passed down to her. My grandfather an Ayurvedic Practitioner, loved this recipe. He was a big advocate of including kakarakaya (bitter melon in my home language, Telugu) in our daily diet because of its health benefits. Growing up, I must admit that I did not like this vegetable at all! But of all the bitter melon recipes out there, this is my most favorite!
Recipe FAQs
This vegetable from the tropics is said to lower blood sugar levels, cleanse / improve blood and have cancer fighting properties. The vegetable is naturally low in calories and high in Vitamins C and A.
Naturally this vegetable is bitter. The best way to eat bitter melon is to cook it with spices and balance its bitterness with sweet and sour as I have done in this recipe.
Spices such as garam masala, coriander powder, pomegranate powder (anardana) and dry mango powder (amchur) will all go well with bitter gourd. All of these spices will help tame the bitter taste.
Other recipes that you will love
Here are some more curry recipes:
- Aloo Matar - Potatoes and Peas in Tomato Gravy (with Video)
- Baingan Bhartha (Chargrilled eggplant curry)
- Beetroot Raitha
- Bhindi /Okra Masala
- Bitter Melon Recipe - Vegan Curry
- Bottle Gourd Recipe
I hope that you enjoy making this delicious bitter melon recipe as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with you. If you have made it, please take a moment to leave a comment and /or a rating below. This will make me super happy and motivate me to create more good content for you! xx Padma
Recipe Card
Bitter Melon Recipe - Vegan Curry
Equipment
- 1 sauce pan
- 1 sieve
- 1 frying pan
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 3 tender bitter melon (200 grams, approximately)
- 1 and ¼ cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 3 tablespoons tamarind extract
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon chickpea lentils (chana dal)
- ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 1 dried red chilli
- ¼ teaspoon powdered asafetida (look for gluten free option)
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 3 tablespoons powdered jaggery
- 1 teaspoon ground red chilli (or paprika)
- 1 teaspoon chickpea flour (besan)
Instructions
Prep the bitter melon
- Wash and cut the bitter melon into rounds - about ½ cm thick. With the skin and the pith.
- Place a saucepan on medium heat. Add the water, salt, turmeric and tamarind extract to the pan. Bring to boil. Now add the chopped melon. Cook till soft, but not fully cooked. Drain and keep aside.This step will take take 5-7 minutes.3 tender bitter melon, 1 and ¼ cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric, 3 tablespoons tamarind extract
Now let us make the curry
- Place a frying pan on medium high heat. Add oil and chickpea lentils. Fry till the lentils start to turn brown. Add the rest of the spices - mustard seeds, red chilli, asafoetida and curry leaves. Toss them around the the oil till the mustard seeds begin to splutter.2 teaspoons neutral oil, 1 teaspoon chickpea lentils (chana dal), ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds, 1 dried red chilli, ¼ teaspoon powdered asafetida, 4-5 curry leaves
- Add the boiled and drained bitter melon pieces, jaggery and ground red chilli. Stir. The jaggery will begin to melt almost immediately. Reduce the heat from medium-high to medium-low. Let the jaggery melt completely, caramelize and coat the gourd pieces. This step will take 3-4 minutes. If, at this point, you find that there isn't enough moisture and the spices are sticking to the bottom of the pan, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.3 tablespoons powdered jaggery, 1 teaspoon ground red chilli
- Now sprinkle the chickpea flour evenly. Mix gently. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat and serve. The flour will help bind the syrup, juices and the spices together. You will know that the curry is done when the gravy is thick, glossy and coating the vegetable evenly, giving the curry a lovely texture.1 teaspoon chickpea flour (besan)
Notes
- Jaggery: Jaggery is unrefined, natural cane sugar. If you do not have jaggery, you may use dark brown sugar or muscovado instead.
- Asafoetida - Powdered asafoetida that is most commonly has gluten (plain flour) mixed in it. There are some brands that sell gluten-free asafoetida.
- Chopping the vegetable: Make sure they are neither too thick nor too thin. Cut them approximately ½ cm thick.
Devaki says
Such a unique recipe!
Padma Kumar says
Indeed it is! Thank you so much.
Ravi says
Love this recipe
mygoodfoodworld says
Thank you so much Ravi. Glad that you like it.