How to Make Bitter Gourd and Onion Stir-fry (Karela-Pyaz Sabzi): Bitter gourd (karela) is highly beneficial. It contains compounds like charantin and polypeptide-p, which help regulate blood sugar levels, improve digestion, and aid in weight loss. There are many ways to prepare bitter gourd—such as stuffed bitter gourd (bharwa karela) or a simple stir-fry (bhujia)—but a dish made with bitter gourd and onions is also incredibly delicious. The combination of onions and spices enhances the flavor significantly. Let’s learn how to prepare this tasty bitter gourd and onion stir-fry.

The most challenging part of cooking bitter gourd is removing its inherent bitterness. To make this dish, start with half a kilogram of bitter gourd. Wash them thoroughly, trim off both ends, and peel them lightly. Once peeled, cut each bitter gourd into two pieces; you may remove the seeds if you prefer. Add a spoonful of salt and turmeric powder to the pieces and mix well. Cover the bowl and let it sit for at least half an hour. Meanwhile, take five onions and cut each one into four quarters.

You can keep the bitter gourd covered for half an hour (or longer, if you have the time). After this duration, squeeze out the bitter liquid from the bitter gourd pieces. Remember, do not rinse the bitter gourd with water at this stage. Next, heat some mustard oil in a pan—use a generous amount so that the bitter gourd can be fried easily. Once the oil is hot, add the bitter gourd pieces and fry them, turning them occasionally until they are well-cooked.

Once the bitter gourd is thoroughly fried, remove it from the pan. Frying further helps to reduce the bitterness of the vegetable. It takes 8–10 minutes to fry the bitter gourd (karela). Next, in the same pan with the remaining oil, add asafoetida (hing) and cumin seeds (jeera) for tempering. Add the finely chopped onions, followed by one or two dried red chilies. Then, add half a teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of coriander powder, and one teaspoon of red chili powder. Mix the spices well. Now, add the onions (that you had set aside) into the pan, along with a little bit of jaggery (gur).

Adding jaggery won’t make the dish sweet; instead, it will enhance the overall flavor and help balance the taste of the spices. Next, add a teaspoon of garam masala and 3–4 chopped green chilies. Now, add the fried bitter gourd to the pan and mix everything thoroughly. If it seems too dry or the spices start to burn, sprinkle a little water; otherwise, cover the pan and let the dish cook over a low flame.

After cooking on a low flame for 3–4 minutes, stir the dish well again. Now, add a teaspoon of ground fennel seeds (saunf) and a teaspoon of dry mango powder (amchur). Mix well. Your crispy and delicious bitter gourd and onion dish is now ready. You can finish by garnishing it with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. If you prepare this bitter gourd and onion dish using this method, its aroma will spread throughout the house, and everyone in the family will thoroughly enjoy it.

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