Karela. Bitter Gourd. The scourge of each Indian baby’s dinner line-up and a vegetable that has the doubtful honour of being one of the crucial despised – second perhaps solely to a slimy bhindi. However in its defence, ‘bitter’ is within the identify, so at the very least you may’t cite false promoting while you’re confronted by the extreme flavours it gives up. However like each vegetable that our moms wearily compelled us to eat, it has a plethora of well being advantages that outweigh the few moments of disappointment that will happen.
Sadly, well being advantages aren’t at all times convincing while you’re offered with a plate of inexperienced however fortunately there are a couple of methods to take away as a lot of the disagreeable flavour as attainable from the vegetable earlier than cooking it. Quite a lot of the bitterness resides within the pores and skin and seeds so begin by peeling off the tough exterior till it is easy, and scooping out the seeds.
Subsequent, rub salt into the flesh to attract out the bitter juices and go away it for 20-Half-hour earlier than rinsing off the salt. One other simple flavour enhancer is utilizing sugar or jaggery which can assist counteract the bitterness within the dish. You may even soak it in a sugar and vinegar resolution to actually pull out each final drop of bitterness.
If all that fails, then there’s nonetheless one foolproof methodology to get a scrumptious karela dish, and that’s by frying it. It’s a common reality that every little thing tastes higher fried and karela isn’t any exception. However the catch is that deep frying releases quite a lot of unhealthy trans fat from the oil, and if you happen to’re consuming karela for well being causes, this might appear counterproductive. An air fryer is a straightforward resolution right here, the place you may get scrumptious crispy karela chips with little to no effort and tough cleansing up.
Elements
- 250 grams bitter gourd, chopped and deseeded
- 2 cups sizzling water
- ¼ cup chickpea flour
- ¼ cup rice flour
- 1 tsp salt or to style
- 1 tsp crimson chilli powder or to style
- ⅛ tsp turmeric powder
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida
- 2 tbsp jaggery powdered
- 3 to 4 tbsp water
- 2 tsp oil
Technique
Put together Your Karela
- Wash the bitter gourd and trim the sides. Lower them into small rounds (lower than ¼ inch in thickness) and take away the seeds and the flesh from the centre.
- Now soak this chopped bitter gourd in 2 cups of sizzling water for about Half-hour. Then drain the water and pat the bitter gourd dry.
Batter
- In a mixing bowl, add the chickpea flour, rice flour, salt, crimson chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, and jaggery.
- Make a thick batter by including 2 to three tbsps of water.
- Add the chopped bitter gourd to this ready paste and blend properly. Be sure to evenly combine and coat the flour on the bitter gourd.
Frying
- Preheat your air fryer as per the unit’s directions.
- After preheating, place the coated bitter gourd within the air fryer tray. Don’t maintain one on high of the opposite. Air fry them in batches, and that’s what I did.
- Air fry for 8 minutes at 190℃ and take away it from the air fryer tray and switch it to a plate.
- Add 2 tsp of oil to the bitter gourd and blend properly. Now place the whole bitter gourd into the air fryer tray. Unfold it evenly. As they’re already pre-cooked, it’s okay if some bitter gourds are stacked up.
- Now fry the bitter gourd for six minutes at 200℃.
- Take away the air fryer tray, shake them as soon as, and air a last time for 4 to six minutes at 200℃.
