Bitter Gourd Stir-Fry (Karela) is a fibre-rich, vitamin-dense summer vegetable with a ridged wrinkly surface and a spongy seed interior. It is known for its bitter taste; however, bitter gourd has numerous health benefits. Some studies have suggested that bitter gourd may lower cholesterol and blood glucose in Type 2 diabetes patients.

Growing up in Udupi, a quaint little town on the west coast of India, I did not care for Karela, but my dear mum kept serving it because she knew it was nutritious. She would flavour the dish with Indian spices, cook them with bashed up hog plums (ambade) and finally add jaggery (gaud) to temper its bitterness. It was slightly tangy from hog plums, sweet from jaggery, tasty and utterly delicious, served with hot steamed boiled rice.

This Bitter Gourd Stir-fry is an explosion of beautiful South Indian flavours! This gloriously simple vegetarian/vegan dish is a fantastic one to have up your sleeve, whether you’re preparing a simple weekday dinner for two or adding some variety to your weekend menu.

Give this recipe a try, it’s easy to make and its good for you!!

Karela, bitter Gourd or bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a surprisingly popular vegetable cultivated extensively all over India, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Caribbean. It is quite bitter in taste and aptly named ‘bitter gourd’.

Bitter gourd/Karela belongs to the gourd family and is closely related to cucumbers, watermelons, squash and pumpkin.

At the first glance, a bitter gourd looks like a zucchini or cucumber with a super-bad case of warts. If you ask me, I will say it looks like a weed! Oh! but it’s not!!

The Hindi name used in Indian cookery for the bitter gourd is Karela (pronounced as ka-rae-la). It comes with many other names around the globe such as, fuk wa in Cantonese, Nigauri/goya in Japanese, ampalaya in Philippines. I recently found out that it is known as balsam pear in English!

Bitter gourd can be eaten when it has started to ripen and turn yellowish, but it is best eaten green, because the fruit becomes more bitter as it ripens. Further, the seeds are sweet and edible, however, they are known to cause nausea and therefore best avoided.

Although bitter gourds are best characterised by their unique bitter taste, they are a highly valued part of daily healthy diet in many Asian cuisines because of their interesting flavour and multiple health benefits.

Nutritionally, bitter gourd is low in calories and is a good source of vitamin A, C and thiamine. Similarly, it is rich in iron, phosphorous and a good amount of dietary fibre. It has twice the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the potassium of a banana and twice the calcium of spinach.

In India bitter gourds are often cooked during the summer months because in Ayurvedic medicine they are used as a ‘cooling’ vegetable that help eliminate toxins from the body and boost the immune system.

With all these health benefits, why would you not want to cook bitter gourd!!

Whether raw or cooked, as the name suggests, bitter gourds taste bitter to the first bite and even the aftertaste is bitter.

If there was a bitterness scale, I would rate 5 out of 10 for the light green Chinese bitter gourds and 7 out of 10 for the dark green skin Indian bitter gourds, as they are the most bitter.

To someone who’s unfamiliar, it will not be a pleasant taste. The first bite will prove so unpleasant on your palate that you may be tempted to spit it out. Eating bitter gourd is an acquired taste.

Although it is bitter, there are ways to moderate the bitterness and enjoy this vegetable.

• To decrease the bitterness, sprinkle a teaspoon of salt on the chopped bitter gourd and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry well before cooking.

• Blanch the chopped bitter gourd in salted water for 1 minute. Drain and discard the water. Use the chopped bitter gourd. Salt reduces the bitterness to a certain extent.

• I like to add jaggery as a sweetener, to counteract the bitterness and give the dish a more rounded taste.

The slightly bitter taste is what I love the most because when you’re eating bitter melon, the bitterness is the point!!!

This bitter gourd stir-fry is a super easy South Indian recipe that is flavoured with cumin seeds, some herbs and Indian spices. These simple ingredients bring out the flavours making this dish very delicious.

When cooking the bitter gourd, pairing it with the right combination of ingredients will make it more palatable. As in this recipe, I have added a bit of jaggery to tame the bitterness along with some heat (as in green chilli), and herbs and spices for flavour. These ingredients will not hide the bitter taste but will temper it. It’s very similar to adding garlic to French beans or broccoli to make it tastier.

Here’s what goes into making this easy Bitter Gourd Stir-fry:

• Chinese Bitter Gourd (Karela) – Larger, light green in colour, oblong and generally less bitter. This recipe works best with Chinese bitter gourds, as they cook faster compared to the darker bitter gourds. If you are using the darker variety, please adjust the cook time. Find at: Chinese bitter gourd – from your local Asian greengrocer or Harris Farm Markets. Indian bitter gourd – Some Indian grocers in their fresh vegetable shelf, and some Harris Farm Markets.

• Cumin seeds – Classic spice that adds earthy aroma in the seasoning and works well with sambhar powder. Stick to what is called for in the recipe, as too much can ruin this dish!!

• Curry leaves – Key ingredient for flavour. The oil released from the curry leaves during tempering, adds loads of flavour.

• Slit green chilli – Long, narrow, deep green in colour and mildly spicy. Infuses subtle heat and flavour. To reduce heat, deseed them before adding. Find at: South Asian green grocers or Harris Farm markets.

• Spring onions – Adds a burst of flavour and moisture, as this dish is cooked with little or no liquid to maintain all the nutrients. FYI, I have not added any water.

• Minced garlic and ginger – Common aromatics in most South Indian dishes. I finely chop fresh ginger and garlic for best flavour. Also adds some texture and subtle heat. Substitute – Ginger garlic paste, if that’s what you have on hand.

• Sambhar Powder (optional) – Adds flavour and a little colour. Find at: Your local Indian grocer or all Indian supermarkets. MTR is my favourite brand, but feel free to use any available brand. Please check the label for expiry date, as fresh is best!

• Turmeric Powder – A key ingredient in most South Indian cooking, this recipe calls for ¾ tsp., as a little goes a long way. Adds a distinctive flavour and golden hues to the finished dish.

• Jaggery powder (optional) – Added as a sweetener to tame the bitterness and make the dish tastier. Omit if you enjoy the slightly bitter taste. Find at: All Indian grocers. Substitute: You may use same quantity of palm sugar or add to taste.