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Bitter served in a bowl with lemon chilli and coriander leaves.
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5 from 19 votes

Bitter Melon Recipe

Adjust tamarind and sugar as needed to bring a sweet and sour balance that undermines bitter taste. Enjoy this delicious veggies that is full of nutrients with so little calories.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Diet Vegetarian
Keyword bitter melon recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 170kcal

Ingredients

  • 500 gram bitter melon
  • 4 tablespoon oil or more

Spices

  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seed optional
  • ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds optional
  • ½ tablespoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Vegetables

  • 2 medium onion chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes chopped
  • 1 tablespoon green chili paste
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste

Other

  • Salt to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoon tamarind pulp (or 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar or sugar
  • Fresh coriander for garnish

Instructions

Prepare Bitter Melon

  • Wash and peel bitter melon, cut in half, remove flesh and seeds. Cut into thick slices.
  • In a bowl take sliced bitter melon and add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. mix well and leave for at least 30 minutes. (We'll wash it before adding to the gravy.)

Make Gravy

  • In a vessel take oil, heat on low flame and add garlic and fry till light golden.
  • Add dry whole spices (cumin, fenugreek, mustard) first, then powder spices (turmeric and coriander powder) Saute for 1 minute.
  • Add chopped onion, saute till onions are translucent.
  • Add chopped tomatoes, green chilli and ginger cover and cook for 5 minutes on low flame or till tomato are soft.
  • While gravy cooks, wash bitter melon slices in water and squeeze them to reduce bitterness.
  • Add sliced bitter melon, tamarind and brown sugar in gravy and cook for 10 minutes until soft.
  • Add 2 tablesppon oil and saute on high heat for a minute or more. Serve hot.

Video

Notes

  • Bitter Melon AKA Karela: Organic bitter melon is recommended. I used Indian dark green bitter melon. You can use the Chinese ones too.
  • If you squeeze the karela hardly they will be less bitter.
  • Diabetics patients can drink 2 tablespoons of karela juice that we remove in squeezing.
  • Another method of removing the bitterness of karela is boiling them in salty water, and/or frying karela in oil.
  • Spices: Mustard and fenugreek are beneficial for health as well as add more depth to the curry. You can skip them if unavailable.
  • Brown sugar:  You can substitute brown sugar with jaggery which is a better option.
  • Tamarind: Tamarind is a fruit with sweet and sour flavors and is available in an Indian store. You can skip it or sub it with lemon juice.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 546mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1105IU | Vitamin C: 114mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg