Karela - Punjabi style - Bittergourd in Punjabi style - Gluten free



 Ingredients:

1. Bittergourd( Karela) - 6
2. Onions - 2 large
3. Serranno peppers -2
4. Salt -3 teaspoons( extra 2 table spoons to rub)
5. Tumeric -1/2 teaspoon
6. Dry coriander powder( dhaniya powder ) -1 table spoon
7. Dry mango powder( Amchoor)- 2 teaspoons
8. Red chilli powder - 3 teaspoons( Degi mirch)
9. Chana Masala - 1 table spoon
10. Garam masala- 1 teaspoon
11. Oil - to fry the karela
12. String of thread to tie karela

Method:

1. Scrape the karela . Spli it lengthwise in way so that it remains joined on one side.Rub it with two table spoons of salt  nicely and leave it aside for 2 hours. This process will remove all the bitterness from the karela. After 2 hours wash the karelas and pat dry them with a kitchen towel.
2. Chop all the onions in big cubes and slit the green peppers length wise.
3. Mix 3 teaspoons of salt, dry corainder powder, red chilli powder, chana masala and garam masla  in a  small bowl. Add 1 tea spoon of oil i the masalas.
4. Now take one karela at a time. Put 1/4 teaspoon masala in each one of them and in the peppers. Tie all the karelas witha thread so that the masala does not come out.You  should only use half the masala to fill the karelas. We will use the rest of the masala later with onions.
5. Heat the oil in a wok . When the oil is moderately hot, add the karela and fry them till they get the golden color. Remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and remove extra oil by putting them on  kitchen paper towel.
6. Take one tablespoon of the left oil and put it in a different pan. Now add onions. Let the cook till the onions become a bit translucent.Now add the green peppers and the karelas to the onions. Now add the leftover masala and toss the onions. Cover the lid and turn down the heat on low and let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes. This will soften the karelas and the  masalas will be absorbed by onions.
7. Punjabi karela is ready.

Note: 

1. If you are planning for long roadtrips, this is a vegetable you can take with paranthas as they will not go bad for 2-3 days without refrigeration.  My mom used to make a lot with paranthas for train journey's.
2. Make ahead vegetable. You may cook it on weekend and use it through out the week .
3. They taste even better the next day.
4. This is the most common way to make karelas in punjabi kitchen. There are many variations which I will post in my forthcoming blogs.