Bharwa Karela Masala Recipe

Bharwa Karela Masala, a delicious Stuffed Karela sabzi which you can make for your everyday meals and can also serve it for your Lunch Box. Serve this tasty sabzi along with Dhaba Style Dal Fry, Phulka and Masala Khichia for an everyday meal.

Karthika Gopalakrishnan
Bharwa Karela Masala Recipe
3842 ratings.

Bharwa Karela Masala is a stuffed recipe in which bitter gourd is stuffed with spices and peanuts roasted in oil. The Bharwa karela itself is a dry dish but when coupled with spicy gravy, it makes a delicious accompaniment for rice or akki roti. Bitter gourd is known for its health benefits but the bitter taste which it carries makes it difficult to be eaten by kids and even many adults.

Bitter gourds are chopped and soaked in salt to reduce it bitterness. Later, they are washed thoroughly with water and then stuffed with grounded peanut coconut spicy masala. You will be amazed to see that the bitterness would have reduced without jaggery and the bitter gourd tastes delicious with the masala. 

Serve Bharwa Karela Masala along with Dhaba Style Dal Fry, Phulka and Masala Khichia for an everyday meal.

If you like this recipe, you can also try other Bitter Gourd Recipes such as:

  1. Karela Masala Sabzi Recipe
  2. Bihari Karela and Aloo Ki Subzi Recipe
  3. Bitter Gourd Juice Recipe (Karela Juice)
  4. Pavakkai Poriyal Recipe (Karela Ki Sabzi)

Cuisine: Indian
Course: Lunch
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep in

20 M

Cooks in

50 M

Total in

70 M

Makes:

4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 2 Karela (Bitter Gourd/ Pavakkai)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt , adjust to taste
  • Ingredients For stuffing & gravy
  • 1/2 cup Raw Peanuts (Moongphali)
  • 1/2 cup Fresh coconut , grated and roasted
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 2 teaspoon Jaggery
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
  • 2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhania)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera)
  • 1 tablespoon Tamarind Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Salt , adjust to taste
  • 3 teaspoon Oil

How to make Bharwa Karela Masala Recipe

  1. To begin making the Bharwa Karela Masala Recipe, wash karela and grate their outer surface with a knife or grater and remove seeds inside. Cut them 2 inches long, add salt and leave aside for 10 minutes.

  2. You would see that the vegetable would have given some water. Squeeze the excess water and wash them completely. Doing so will reduce bitterness to a considerate level. Slice the gourds half way through so as to facilitate filling inside them. Keep aside.

  3. In a saucepan, add water and bring it to a boil. Cook pieces of karela in boiling water just until the skin becomes tender. Avoid overcooking since they need to retain their shape. Drain the hot water and allow it to cool down enough to handle.

  4. Dry roast peanuts until it turns slightly brown. Half of it for is to be used for stuffing and the other half, for gravy.

  5. In a kadai, add oil and once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds. Fry them until they turn brownish.

  6. Add garlic pods and fry them until they turn brownish.

  7. In a mixer, add the roasted peanut, roasted coconut, garlic pods, jeera, jaggery, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and grind them coarsely. Do not add water

  8. Add a teaspoon of oil to the grounded powder and mix them well

  9. Stuff half of the spice powders inside the bitter gourd and keep the remaining half to the gravy.

  10. In a medium sized frying pan. Add remaining oil and heat them over medium heat

  11. Place the stuffed karelas in the pan and roasted until the outer skin turns brownish.

  12. In another medium sized pan, add a half teaspoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the remaining masala and saute it for a few minutes. Add 1-1/2 cups of water and cook until the gravy thickens a little.

  13. Add a little more tamarind paste if you like it to be a little more sour.

  14. Cook with lid covered over medium flame until the gravy is reduced and grounded powders are absorbed completely. Adjust salt and switch off the flame. Pour the gravy over the karelas and serve hot.

  15. Serve Bharwa Karela Masala along with Dhaba Style Dal FryPhulka and Masala Khichia for an everyday meal.