Fried karele are by far one of my favorite dishes, but its’ not for everyone. They’re crunchy, bitter, and a definitely not kid friendly.
I HATED fried karele as a kid! It was the same reaction that American kids have to boiled Brussels sprouts. Then one fine day, poof, they’re one of my favorite dishes. The sharp flavor combined with the sweetness of the onion balance perfectly.
They’re insanely high in vitamin C, and are claimed to assist in blood purification. So much so that bitter melon is currently being used in scientific research to aid in the prevention and treatment numerous ailments. Now whether any of that is relevant for the purposes of you deciding to cook it, is questionable. I know people want to pretend like they eat like some sort of health fanatic, but lets be honest, no health fanatic is eating friend anything. So move on from that bit and eat them because they’re delicious.
They’re incredibly quick to make and go perfectly with roti, raita, and moong daal. I especially love pairing karele with yellow moong daal! Moong daal is a little basic on it’s own. Don’t get me wrong, I love it and think it has a lovely flavor, but the karele add such a zing to it. The crunch and the bitterness just elevate it to a different level.
Need more authentic Punjabi recipes? Try these:
Fried Karele
6
servings15
minutes30
minutes45
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
2 lbs karele (bitter melon), sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium-sized onion, sliced in 1/2 inch strips
Salt, to taste
Enough oil to cover bottom 3 inches of pot
Directions
- Heat oil in a non stick pot till lightly smoking.
- Fry karele slices in batches till golden brown.
- Shake off excess oil and put into bowl lined with paper towels.
- Salt while hot.
- Fry onion slices till golden brown.
- Mix onion and bitter melon together and serve hot.
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Nutrition Facts
6 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories120
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
9g
12%
- Saturated Fat 1g 6%
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 0mg 0%
- Sodium 30mg 1%
- Total Carbohydrate
9g
3%
- Dietary Fiber <1g 3%
- Total Sugars 2g
- Protein 1g 3%
- Vitamin D 1mcg 6%
- Calcium 0mg 0%
- Iron 2mg 10%
- Potassium 280mg 6%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.