Name: Sindhi Karela Basar
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g Bitter Gourd, karela, scraped, sliced into rings, salted and squeezed; 1½ Onion, basar, thinly sliced (large quantity required); 1 Tomato, finely chopped; 1 Green Chili Pepper, slit; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ¾ tsp Ground Coriander; ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder; ½ tsp Dried Mango Powder, amchur, crucial to balance bitterness; 1½ tbsp Cooking Oil; ½ tsp Salt, adjust carefully as karela was pre-salted

1 hr 10 mintotal

40 min hands-on30 min hands-off

Prep 10 min · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

Add to your week

Method

Heat oil in a wide pan or kadhai on medium heat. Add the squeezed bitter gourd (karela) rings.
Fry the karela for 8-10 minutes, tossing frequently, until they are crisp and well-browned. This step eliminates the remaining bitterness. Remove and set aside.
8–10 min
In the same pan containing the leftover oil, add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Add the mountain of thinly sliced onions (basar) and slit green chillies. Sauté until the onions turn soft, translucent, and light pink (do not brown them deeply).
Add the finely chopped tomatoes, turmeric, red chilli powder, and coriander powder. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
Return the fried karela to the pan. Mix everything well so the karela is enveloped in the onion-tomato mixture.
Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. The onions will lend their sweetness to the bitter gourd.
10 min
Remove the lid, sprinkle dry mango powder (amchur), toss for one final minute, and turn off the heat.

How to tell it's done

Chewy, caramelized bitter gourd rings entangled in a soft, sweet, tangy, and generously spiced onion relish.

Getting it right

Tip

Sindhi Karela Basar relies on the massive volume of sweet, jammy onions to perfectly counter the sharp bitterness of the karela. The golden rule is: the volume of sliced onions should visually match the volume of the raw karela.

What to serve it with

Incredible when served with Sindhi Koki, Phulkas, or as a side dish to Dal and Rice.

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