Dish #412 - Bharwa Karela or Stuffed Bittergourd

Bitter gourd (balsam pear/ bitter melon) is a young, tender, edible fruit-pod, though its bitter taste might turn some people away from it, in-fact, it really can sweeten your health through virtue of its disease preventing and health promoting phyto chemical compounds. Fresh bitter melon is an excellent source of vitamin-C which is one of the powerful natural antioxidants which helps scavenge deleterious free radicals from the human body.
Due to its hypoglycemic action, bitter gourd makes an excellent remedy for diabetes. The insulin-like components in bitter gourd help to lower blood and urine sugar levels without increasing blood insulin levels.
For those who love bitter gourd, I have some lovely bitter gourd recipes, mainly in our 'very easy to make' Konkani cuisine, my favorite being "Karathe Phodi" or Bittergourd fritters.
I also make a sweetish curry with bitter gourd called "Karathe Go'd thalasani" which is probably the oldest dish in our konkani community.
For the pickle lovers I have the "Bittergourd pickle" and for those who like salads there is
"Karathe Kosambari".
But the biggest delicacy of them all is the "Chilly garlic Bitter gourd and eggplant" or "Karathe ani Gulla thalasani" since its made from the traditional and patented "Gulla" or brinjal from Udupi.
Here is a simple yet delicious dish made using bitter gourd, this is a north Indian cuisine inspired dish.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
Bittergourd or Karela - small ones - 10-12 nos
Onion - 1 - finely chopped
Green chilly - 1 - finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves - finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch - finely chopped
Oil - 1-2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp (or more as per taste buds)
Chat masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Amchur/Dry mango powder - 1/2 tsp
Black salt - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:
Peel the bitter gourds using a peeler, now wash and slit then on one side lengthwise and remove the inside seeds.
Soak in salt water for 15-30 mins so that the bitterness gets reduced. You can also use them directly.
Meanwhile, take a large pan, keep on medium heat, add oil, once hot add the onions, green chilly, ginger and garlic and fry till onions turn translucent.
Now add all the masalas and salt as required, and stir fry for about 2-3 minutes.
Switch of heat the allow to cool.
Now remove the bitter gourd from the salt water, pat dry and stuff them with the cooled mixture.



Once they are stuffed well, tie each one using a thread if you feel that the masala will slip out.

Take a shallow pan, and fry the karela on low heat and using minimal oil - 1-2 tsp.

Once done remove the tied thread.
Serve hot garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

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"Chatpate Karele" or Hot n Tangy Bittergourd

Bitter gourd is a powerhouse of health benefits.
It helps detox the blood of toxins, helps make skin clearer & also is helpful in curing diabetes.Bitter gourds are very low in calories but dense with precious nutrients. It is rich in iron, contains twice the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, and twice the potassium of a banana.
The name bitter gourd or bitter melon was derived from its bitter taste. However there are ways to reduce the bitter taste and cook some lip smacking side-dishes with this vegetable.

There is a famous saying in tulu language (Mangalore local language) which says "Kanchala Etthanda, Encholu Unnoli", which means "If you have any bittergourd curry with you, you can eat a hearty meal".
For those who love bitter gourd, I have some lovely bitter gourd recipes, mainly in our 'very easy to make' Konkani cuisine, my favorite being "Karathe Phodi" or Bittergourd fritters.
I also make a sweetish curry with bitter gourd called "Karathe Go'd thalasani" which is probably the oldest dish in our konkani community.
For the pickle lovers I have the "Bittergourd pickle" and for those who like salads there is
"Karathe Kosambari".
But the biggest delicacy of them all is the "Chilly garlic Bitter gourd and eggplant" or "Karathe ani Gulla thalasani" since its made from the traditional and patented "Gulla" or brinjal from Udupi.

Here is a simple yet lip smacking side-dish made using thinly sliced bittergourd, my very own creation and a hit in the first attempt itself.

Since I am mostly using North Indian cuisine ingredients, and the end result was indeed "chatpata" , I have given this dish a Hindi name "Chatpate Karele" meaning "Hot n Tangy bittergourd".

Goes perfectly well with rotis/chapatis and a bowl of curds/raitha.

If you feel the bittergourd is too bitter, then you could peel the outer skin using a peeler and soak in salt water for about 30 mins.

"Paneer Butter Masala" or Cottage Cheese in Creamy Tomato Gravy

"Paneer Butter Masala" is probably the most popular vegetarian dish from North Indian/Punjabi cuisine. This dish is basically cottage cheese bites in creamy tomato gravy.
A dish we all love!
Very easy to  make and needs no fancy ingredients. 
Cook this at home and am sure you will cook it often at home, without wanting to order it in a restaurant!
This dish is a big hit with kids due to its creamy and its very mildly spiced gravy.

"Baingan Bhartha" or Char grilled Eggplant Mash Saute'd in Indian Spices

"Baingan Bhartha" is a side-dish made from Char grilled Eggplant. Its one of our favorite side-dish for Roti or any other Indian bread.
This dish is not just easy to make and lip smackingly delicious... it also is packed with nutrients.

Eggplant is loaded with vitamins and minerals, but its health benefits extend beyond just adding vital nutrients to a meal. Eggplant contains other compounds that promote good health as well, even to the point of helping to prevent cancer and lowering cholesterol. Once you realize how beneficial eggplant is to your health, you may want to give more consideration to it becoming a regular part of your diet.

"Shahi Paneer" or Royal Cottage Cheese

"Shahi" means Royal. "Shahi Paneer" is a very old and traditional North Indian/Punjabi side-dish. It used to be a dish prepared for royal feasts and it is this dish that later got modified and became the current day "Paneer Butter Masala".
Cooking Shahi Paneer perfectly is supposed to be an art. In olden days the culinary skills of a newly married bride in the North Indian States used to be judged by how well she could cook this dish.
Even today there are lot of Mother's-In-Law who still believe that if her Daughter-In-Law can cook a delicious Shahi Paneer then she is good in cooking everything. Such is the significance of this dish.
From the day I started cooking, I have always been thinking about cooking this dish but never really tried it, for the fear of being judged by none other than myself.
But a few months back, I finally managed to crack the perfect recipe and make the perfect "Shahi Paneer" and believe me this is no rocket science, its easy as any other dish...if you follow my recipe.

So make this dish if you want to impress someone with your cooking! or may be just to impress yourself as to how good a cook you are!

Khumb Palak - Mushrooms in Spinach Gravy (North Indian style)

"Khumb Palak" is nothing but Mushrooms in mildly spiced Spinach gravy. 

The health benefits of mushroom include relief from high cholesterol levels, breast cancer, prostrate cancer, and diabetes. It also helps in weight loss, increasing immunity.
Mushrooms provide you with lean proteins as they have zero cholesterol, fats and very low carbohydrates. The fiber and certain enzymes in them also help lower cholesterol level. Moreover, the high lean protein content in mushrooms helps burn cholesterol when they are digested.
Health benefits of spinach include good eyesight, blood pressure, strengthens muscles, prevention of age-related macula degeneration (AMD), cataract, atherosclerosis and heart attack, neurological benefits, bone mineralization, anti-ulcerative, anti-cancerous property, skin protection, foetus development, protein rich for infant’s proper growth etc. 

This dish is a good combination of Mushroom and Spinach and should be made atleast once a week to get maximum health benefits.