Stuffed Karela Fry

Ingredients:

4 small Bitter Guard / Hagalakayi

1 small Onion

2-3 tsp grated Coconut

4-5 strands of Coriander leaves

1 tsp Mango powder / Amchoor powder

1 tsp Bengal gram flour/ Besan

1 tsp Sugar / Jaggary

1 tsp Chilly powder

Pinch of Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste.

Pinch of Asafotida powder

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

6-7 tsp Oil

Recipe:

Put grated coconut in a mixer and grind it for about 1 min and keep it aside.

Peel the bitter guard little bit and make a slit as shown in the picture below. Remove the inner part of the bitter guard.

Remove the seeds from the inner part of bitter guard and chop it into small pieces as shown in the picture below.

Chop onion and coriander leaves into small pieces as shown in the picture below.

Put mustard seeds, 3-4 tsp oil in a pan. Once it starts spluttering, add asafotida powder, chopped onion. Add little amount of salt and fry them in medium flame for about 4-5 mins until onion turns golden in color. Add pinch of turmeric powder, 1 tsp bengal gram flour and fry them for about 1 min in medium flame. Add ginger garlic paste and fry them fro about 2 mins in medium flame. Add red chilly powder, inside part of bitter guard and fry them for about 2-3 mins in medium flame. Add grated coconut and fry them for about 1-2 mins. Add mango powder, sugar, salt and chopped coriander leaves and fry them for about 2-3 mins in medium flame. Keep this masala aside for about 10-15 mins.

Take little amount of prepared masala and stuff the bitter guard with masala and tie them as shown in the picture below.

Take a non stick pan/tava and put 3-4 tsp oil and heat it little bit. Place the bitter guard as shown on the picture below.

Cover it with a lid and cook them in low flame for about 3-4 mins. Sprinkle little amount of sugar and salt and shallow fry the bitter guards in low flame by covering a lid and turning the bitter guards around to be cooked evenly.

Serve hot along with Rice. It goes well with rice and ghee. This recipe is from http://www.vahrehvah.com. Thanks Sanjay for this recipe.

Hagalakayi Sandige

Ingredients:

3 medium sized Bitter gourd / Hagalakayi

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Chilly powder

Pinch of Asafotida powder

1 tsp Mango powder / Amchoor powder

Salt to taste

1-2 tsp Oil

Recipe:

Chop bitter guard into thin round pieces and remove the seeds as shown in the picture below. Put it in a vessel containing salted water for about 1 hr. Wash the bitter gourd 2-3 times and place it over the clean cotton cloth or kitchen towel to remove the water content.

Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt, mango powder, asafotida powder in a vessel and mix them well. Add this chopped bitter guard and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 250-300 degree F. Place an aluminium foil over the oven tray and spread 1-2 tsp oil over the foil. Place masala coated bitter guard pieces on aluminum foil as shown in the picture below. Place this tray inside the oven. Cook both the sides of bitter guard for about 25-30 mins until it becomes crisp.(Instead Sun light can be used for making this sandige.) Store this in an airtight container. It can be served by either microwaving it or frying it in oil. Serve along with Rice & Rasam or with other curries.