Bitter Gourd Pickle | Bitter Melon Pickle (Karela Pickle)

Ingredients

• 250 grams bitter gourd (karela or bitter melon)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 150 ml apple cider vinegar a little more than ½ cup or about 10 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 60 ml mustard oil about ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons, swap with sesame oil instead – regular sesame oil and not the Asian one
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
• 8 to 9 garlic cloves – peeled or thinly sliced
• 5 to 6 green chilies – slit
• salt as required

Steps

1. Rinse the bitter gourd thoroughly. If the skin has bruises, lightly peel those parts as needed. The entire gourd does not need to be peeled.
2. Cut vertically, remove the seeds, and chop into small pieces.
3. Sprinkle some salt over the chopped bitter gourd and mix well and set aside for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, squeeze the salted bitter gourd and throw away the juices. Rinse again in fresh water, drain completely, and set the slices aside.
5. Heat mustard oil in a pan over medium-low to medium flame until it starts smoking. Add mustard and fenugreek seeds and fry until crackling.
6. Fry sliced garlic for 10 to 12 seconds, then add green chilies and fry for 30 seconds.
7. Add the chopped bitter gourd and sauté over low to medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes.
8. Stir in white vinegar and salt and bring to a boil, about 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Stir in red chili powder, turn off the heat, and set the pan aside to cool.
10. Cover with a cotton napkin rather than a lid to avoid condensation droplets forming on the lid.
11. Once completely cool, pour the pickle into a clean, sterilized jar.
12. Close the jar with its lid and refrigerate.
13. Serve with an Indian meal such as dal-rice, sambar-rice, curd rice, or kadhi-rice.