Karela (bitter gourd) is one vegetable which I have seen most kids are reluctant to eat whereas nutrition wise it is very good. However, not only kids , the adults are also reluctant to eat this bitter sabji. However it has lots of benefits which goes like this:
a) One of the best medicine for diabetic patients
b) It represents one of the sixth tastes our tongue has on its buds which needed to be satisfied i.e. a part of our food should contain bitter taste. Karela can fulfill that requirement
c) IT is a green vegetable and help in blood purification
d) Karela juice is natural juice and recommended to be included in daily diet.
e) It is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavour , be its , soups, sources or tea. Its also a popular food item in other Asian countries like Japan,Indonesia etc.
I have one recipe to make it interesting which you can try at and I am sure this atleast will make adults in your house karela eater. And here it goes :)
Ingredients: (For Four People)
4 mid sized bitter gourd
salt,
Turmeric powder
red chilli powder ,
cummin seeds,
coriander power
Mango Pickle in liquid form
cooking oil
Process:
Peel bitter gourd and wash them thoroughly. Then cut them into round pieces like salad. Now soak these washed pieces into one teaspoonful salt and half teaspoonful turmeric power and leave it for 7-8 hours. After 7-8 hours, put the frying pan on the stove and pour one tablespoonful of cooking oil in that.Once the oil is heated, put some cummin seeds in it and now you can add the marinated karela pieces into it. Sim the gas and cook it for 10-15 minutes. Once the karela is cooked ,you can add red chilli powder , coriander powder and little salt. Cook for another five minutes. Now add mango pickle in liquid form and mix it well. Switch off the gas in 2 minutes. The crispy spicy karela is ready. Just wait for some more hours for pickle taste to be absorbed by the bitter karela and you can have the yum karela.
Happy Eating:)
About Author / Additional Info:
A foodie in true sense