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Karela is good for health. The doctors vouch for this. So does your grandma. But is it good to taste? It can be, say experts who know how to make this bitter vegetable actually taste good. Here, we give you four recipes from Navi Mumbaikars who have perfected the art of cooking this vegetable.

Karela Pachadi

Ingredients

Karela: 250 gms
Grated coconut: 1/2 coconut
Green chillies: 3
Ginger: 1 inch
Curd – 1 bowl
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Red chilli – 1 or 2
Curry leaves

Wash and boil the karela in salt water (cut the Karela into half so that the salt is absorbed).
Then grate fresh coconut. Take green chilli, ginger and the grated coconut and grind into fine paste. Coarsely grind/ crush the boiled karela (drain the water). Then add the fine paste to this crushed karela and add whipped curd to this. Add water as required to this to make a gravy. Take oil in a pan and add mustard seeds in it, then put slit whole red chilli and curry leaves and add this to the gravy prepared.

Karela pachadi ready to be served.

(Mrs Rajji Sunil, 35 years)

Karela Fry

Ingredients

Karela: 250 gms
Ginger: 1 inch
Garlic: 3 cloves
Lemon -1
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Red chilli: 1 tsp
A pinch of Hing
Rice powder – 1 teaspoon

Wash and wipe the Karelas.

Cut it into round shape (thin slices)

Take ginger-garlic paste, lime juice, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, hing. Add salt and make a thick paste of this and add water if required. Add a tea spoon of rice powder to make it crispy.

Apply this on the diced karelas and keep it for 15-20 minutes.

Take a frying pan pour little oil in it and shallow fry till the karelas turn golden brown.

(Mr Krishna Pujari, 45yrs)

Karela Tomato Sabji

Ingredients

Karela: 250 gms
Turmeric: 1 tsp
Onion: 1
Tomato: 2
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp
Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Cut the karelas in small round fine pieces.
Then keep little water to boil. Add salt, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Once the water dries off take a kadai, add oil and put sliced onions, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste. Wait till it becomes light brown. Add turmeric powder, chilly powder and finely cut tomato pieces. Then add boiled Karela and fry it nicely. Add salt to taste. Simple and easy cooking.

(Paulin Ropson, 35 yrs)

(Compiled By Priya Jayakumar, Anisha Ashokan)