Dahi wale karela recipe | Bitter Gourd in yogurt sauce

Dahi wale karela recipe | Bitter Gourd in yogurt sauce with step wise pictorial and video method.

Here we have an interesting twist to the classic bitter gourd/karela recipe wherein bitter gourd is simmered in a spiced yogurt-based gravy.

The yogurt not only enhances the taste of karela but at the same time balances the bitterness of the karela, creating a creamy and tangy dish that pairs well with chapati at the first place, tough can be enjoyed with rice as well.

Generally bitter gourd is cooked in 2 most common ways. One, after cutting them into roundels and another one is by filling a stuffing in them called Bharwa Karela.

But amongst the both, this is the easiest version wherein you don’t require onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic or any fancy ingredients. Just curd and few regular spices and it’s done.

TIPS TO MAKE PERFECT DAHI WALE KARELA RECIPE

• Peel the bitter gourd but not too deep. It should remain on a green side.
• Keep the length of bitter gourd as per your choice but don’t cut them too small. We have left them whole.
• If using mustard oil, make sure it is smoked properly. Under cooked mustard oil tastes bad in any anything you cook with it.
• Keep rotating the bitter gourd while frying so that they turn brown from all sides.
• Whisk the curd very well. If you add curd without whisking, there will remain a lump in the gravy.
• Although you can add the spices directly in the pan, but their tendency of getting burnt is much high, so prefer to add to curd itself.
• The moment you add curd to pan, immediately start stirring otherwise curd gets curdled. Stop the stirring only when curd begins to boil.

STEPWISE PICTORIAL RECIPE OF DAHI WALE KARELA RECIPE

Slit them in a way as we cut them for filling. You will find the seeds. You may or may not remove them, choice is yours.

Sprinkle 1 tsp salt over them.

Rub the bitter gourd so well.

Leave aside for 15-20 minutes.

After the said period, squeeze the bitter gourd so that their extra bitterness will come out.

Wash them.

Take mustard oil in a pan and cook the oil till smoking point.

Add karela.

Shallow fry them till they turn brown from all the sides.

Take fried karela out.

Add cumin seeds in the remaining oil and let cumin splutter.

Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala and fennel seeds powder to curd.

Whisk the curd so well.

Add to the pan.

Keep whisking otherwise curd will curdle.

Add fried karele and mix.

Put a lid & let it simmer for 2 minutes only so that karele absorb all the flavours.

Enjoy.