Do you hate bitter gourd? Mumbai chefs will make you fall in love with these yummy recipes

Bitter gourd or karela as it is more commonly called around India is not particularly a favourite of many people. Its bitterness is one of the many reasons why people don't like it and never consume it after they are first introduced to it as children by their mothers. Funny enough, mothers have to either hide it to feed children. Just so that the vegetable is palatable, many even have to think of innovative ways to make a dish out of the gourd to make it palatable.

Surely, some do like the vegetable in its many variations - either fried or boiled, sweetened or tossed in masalas to make a classic Indian preparation, there are still others who aren't convinced and continue to avoid it. Since it is one vegetable that is unanimously disliked by many, Mid-day Online decided to come to the rescue of every person who ‘hates' the vegetable wholeheartedly.

In fact, city chefs at Mumbai's restaurants believe a lot more can be done with the vegetable than people know and all it takes is for them to put on their chef's hat and enter the kitchen. Their variations include delicious vegetarian dishes that are made in quite a few homes around the country.

Stuffed bitter gourd by Amit Kocharekar, executive chef, The Resort Mumbai, Malad (West)
At The Resort Mumbai, executive chef Amit Kocharekar believes people can be convinced to enjoy bitter gourd by simply stuffing it. He explains, "As people don't like to eat bitter gourd in a normal form of cooking because of its bitterness, the different spices and ingredients that are added to the stuffing turns it into a delicious dish."

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd 6 nos
Salt 1 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Water as required for steaming

For the stuffing/filling:
Fresh coconut 1 cup
Roasted peanut 1 cup
Garlic cloves, dry roasted 10 nos
Green chillies, deseeded 2 nos
Tamarind pulp, thick ½ tbsp
Spicy red chilli powder 3 tsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Turmeric 1/4th tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander chopped ½ tbsp

To tie the bitter gourd:
Cotton thread, preferably white as required

For the shallow frying:
Peanut oil 3 tbsp/as required

Method:
1. Wash the bitter gourd thoroughly.
2. With the help of a knife, slit the centre of each bitter gourd vertically across its length. Do not cut off the stem.
3. Apply salt and turmeric in the slits.
4. Place a deep pan filled with water, bring it to a boil, place a colander on top of it and place the bitter gourd in it. Cover and steam the bitter gourd for 3 minutes on one side and then, rotate the same and steam it for another three minutes on that side.
5. Remove from the flame and wash it under running water. With the help of a very small spoon, remove the seeds from it and discard them.
6. Wash the bitter gourd again under running water ensuring that the water is completely drained off.
7. For the stuffing, coarsely grind all the ingredients mentioned from coconut to green chillies. Add the thick tamarind pulp, asafoetida, spicy red chilli powder, turmeric, salt and finely chopped cilantro and mix well.
8. Divide the masala equally into six parts and fill each bitter gourd neatly without stuffing it too much or too little.
9. Now tie each bitter gourd with the threads.
10. In a non-stick pan, add the peanut oil, once hot, reduce the flame and place the bitter gourds, shallow fry covered with a lid / cover on each side till crisp and golden brown in colour.

Karela Soya Bunny by Vinayak Patil, executive chef, Butterfly High, across outlets
At Butterfly High, executive chef Vinayak Patil advises combining your love for soya with bitter gourd to make a delicious and completely new dish he calls Karela Soya Bunny, which is simply a bun stuffed with an appetising mix of bitter gourd. A mix of earthy flavours along with the soya cuts into the bitterness to produce a unique yet familiar taste.

Ingredients
Bitter gourd, small size, deseeded, boiled then chop 1 cup
Soya chunks - 60 gms
Green peas (shelled) 10 gms
Ghee 2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 gms
Cloves 1 pcs
Cinnamon 1 pc
Peppercorns, crushed 2 nos
Black cardamom seeds 1 no
Bay leaves 2 nos
Onions, grated 1/2 cup
Ginger paste 1 tsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Tomatoes, chopped 2 cups
Salt to taste
Coriander powder 1 tbsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves, chopped 1 tbsp
Small size bun (pani puri golgappa size) 4 nos

Method:
1. Heat ghee in a heavy-based pan and add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn, cardamom and bay leaves.
2. When the seeds start to splutter, add garlic, ginger, and onions and stir-fry till the fat separates.
3. Add tomatoes, salt, coriander powder, turmeric and chilli powder.
4. Continue to stir-fry till fat separates. Increase heat to high and add karela, soya mince and peas.
5. Stir a few times till the mince looks fried, then lower heat and sauté till cooked through and the fat separates once again.
6. Take a small bun, make it hollow, then fill it.
7. Serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Vegan Keema Karela by Jerson Fernandes, executive chef, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, Juhu
If you are vegan and want to enjoy a dish of bitter gourd, soyabean can definitely come to the rescue. While chef Vinayak Patil's recipe can impress guests at a house party, chef Jerson Fernandes believes in celebrating the bitter gourd in all its might because he stuffs the bitter gourd itself with the soyabean to exude a wide variety of flavours. He explains, "This is one of the best vegetables in terms of its versatility, if you get the cooking techniques and flavour patterns right. This dish is a melange of flavours - simplest yet interesting to execute, as the flavours from the karela marry those from the keema really well, balancing out the bitterness. The textures and colors are perfectly balanced too. Since it is one of those unique dishes that can be even tried at home, Fernandes suggests starting simple. To remove bitterness from the gourd, scrape the skin nicely, deseed, blanch in water consisting of salt, lemon juice and turmeric, he suggests.

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd 2 nos
Turmeric 10 gms
Salt to taste
Oil 300 ml
Soya keema 200 gms
Coriander, chopped 1 bunch
Garlic, chopped 30 gms
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tbsp
Lemon juice 2 nos
Tomatoes 3 nos
Green chillies 2 nos
Egg (optional) 1 no
Dill leaves for garnish

Method:
1. Scrape skin, cut the bitter gourd length wise, scoop out the seeds and flesh and blanch it in salt, lemon and turmeric water until soft.
2. Prepare soya keema - heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic, chopped onion, chopped green chillies.
3. Add dry spices, sauté well until cooked. Add finely ground soya keema and simmer until cooked. Add lemon juice and check seasoning. Add coriander.
4. Prepare Makhni sauce- Blanch tomatoes with garlic, puree it, add dry spices, check seasoning.
5. Stuff the soya keema into the scooped blanched bitter gourd, plate using Makhni sauce on the base.
6. Place the keema stuffed bitter gourd in the centre of the plate. Place a poached egg yolk in the centre (Optional).
7. Garnish with fresh coriander/dill leaves, edible flowers and dots of accompanying sauce of your choice on the side.

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