Karela Fry or Bitter Gourd Fry or Kakarakaya Fry is an easy and quick recipe of sauteed and spiced tangy bitter gourd or bitter melon made with ground spices, gram flour and dry mango powder.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Ingredients

  • 250 gram bitter gourd ((karela or kakarakaya or bitter melon) - tender and fresh)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder ((ground cumin))
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander))
  • 1 teaspoon fennel powder ((ground fennel))
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing), optional)
  • ½ or 1 teaspoon dried mango powder ((amchur powder))
  • 1 tablespoon gram flour ((besan) or chickpea flour)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • salt (as required)

Method

Preparation

  1. Rinse the bitter gourd for a few times in water first.
  2. Slice the karela into thin round pieces.
  3. You can lightly peel the skin if you want, before you slice them. But if the peels are very thick, then remove them.

Making karela fry

  1. Heat oil in a frying pan or kadai.
  2. Add the karela slices and sauté on low or medium-low heat till the slices are lightly browned. This takes about 8 to minutes, keep stirring in between.
  3. Now, add all the dry ground spice powders and salt.
  4. Stir and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes more on low heat.
  5. Lastly, add the besan (gram flour) and sauté for some minutes or till the rawness of the besan goes away. This takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
  6. Garnish with coriander leaves.
  7. Serve Karela Fry with dal-rice, kadhi-rice or sambar-rice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.