Karela Sindhi Style | Dhage waara Karela

Karela Sindhi Style is stuffed bitter gourds which are typically made in Sindhi homes. They are a true delicacy.

The alphabet K brings us to Karela or bitter gourds. A lot of people shy away from these due to their bitterness but they are my favourite, especially the stuffed ones and the Sindhi style.

Every Sindhi house has a slight variation in these stuffed Karelas, but each version is better than the other. The Karela is peeled and marinated to remove the bitterness, after which it is lightly fried. That’s the basics of the stuffed Karela, Sindhi style. The difference is in the stuffing.

Let me give you the different combinations that are popular with Sindhi’s –

1.Grated onions, ginger garlic paste, coriander leaves and spices.
2.Grated onions, ginger garlic paste, coriander leaves, spices and finely chopped tomatoes.
3.Grated onions, ginger garlic paste, coriander, spices, crushed bitter gourd seeds.
4.Ginger, garlic, coriander, green chilli paste and spices.

Spices that are used for these are almost the same and once these gourds are stuffed they are tied with a cotton thread. These stuffed karelas are popularly called Dhage waara Karela or Katt waara Karela in Sindhi. Before serving these Karelas we normally untie the threads.

I had posted a Sindhi WinterThali for the September Mega Marathon where I posted these Karelas along with Bassar Paneer, Chithiyal Gogdu, Thooma wara Chawara.

Karela Sindhi Style

Ingredients

Karela

4 large bitter gourds
1/4 cup curd
1 tbsp flour
Salt to taste

Stuffing

2 large onions, grated
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp amchur powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
salt to taste
oil
Cotton thread

Karela

Scrape the peels off the karela.
Slit the karelas vertically, leaving the ends intact.
Add salt and rub it in.
Add curd and flour and mix well.
Let the karela sit for 15 minutes
De-seed the karela.
Wash them thoroughly.
Give them a firm squeeze with your hands to remove the excess water.
Fry the karela (both deep or shallow frying work) until they turn soft and pliable.
Set aside.

Stuffing

Great the onions.
Add chopped tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, coriander leaves and give a good mix.
Now add amchoor powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, gram masala and salt.
Mix all the spices and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
The mixture will be watery as both onions and tomatoes will ooze out water.
Fill the mixture in the fried karelas.
Secure them with a cotton thread, it will ooze out more juice, please reserve this.
Add 1 tbsp ghee in a flat pan.
Place the karelas into a flat-bottomed sauté pan in a single layer.
Pour the reserved juice over the karelas.
Cook the karelas at medium temperature until they turn tender and are cooked through.
Serve with hot chapatis, along with some dal or curry.

Here are the recipes under the A – Z series of Thali Recipes –

A – Almond Stuffed Dates

B – Bhavnagri Mirch ke Bhajiye

C – Chakundar ka Bharta

D – Dal Bhindi

E – Elaichi Kesar China Grass

F – Fruit Payasam

G – Gatta Capsicum

H – Harabharyachi Usal

I – Imli ki Khatti Meethi Chutney

J – Janta Roti

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Karela Sindhi Style

Karela Sindhi Style is stuffed bitter gourds which are typically made in Sindhi homes, stuffed with onions and garlic they taste delicious.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Indian Cuisine

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Ingredients

Karela

• 4 large bitter gourds
• 1/4 cup curd
• 1 tbsp flour
• Salt to taste

Stuffing

• 2 large onions grated
• 1 tomato finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 green chilli finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
• 1 tsp amchur powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• oil
• Cotton thread

Instructions

Karela

• Scrape the peels off the karela.
• Slit the karelas vertically, leaving the ends intact.
• Add salt and rub it in.
• Add curd and flour and mix well.
• Let the karela sit for 15 minutes
• De-seed the karela.
• Wash them thoroughly.
• Give them a firm squeeze with your hands to remove the excess water.
• Fry the karela (both deep or shallow frying work) until they turn soft and pliable.
• Set aside.

Stuffing

• Great the onions.
• Add chopped tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, coriander leaves and give a good mix.
• Now add anchor powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, gram masala and salt.
• Mix all the spices and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
• The mixture will be watery as both onions and tomatoes will ooze out water.
• Fill the mixture in the fried karelas.
• Secure them with a cotton thread, it will ooze out more juice, please reserve this.
• Add 1 tbsp ghee in a flat pan.
• Place the karelas into a flat-bottomed sauté pan in a single layer.
• Pour the reserved juice over the karelas.
• Cook the karelas at medium temperature until they turn tender and are cooked through.
• Serve with hot chapatis, along with some dal or curry.

Notes