Posted By : I am Fresh

11 Feb, 2022 12:21 PM

Cooking Time : 55 Minute

Ingredients

• 250 grams bitter gourd (karela or bitter melon)
• 1 teaspoon mustard (rai)
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
• 150 ml white vinegar, a little more than a half-cup, or about 10 tablespoons of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 60 ml - about ¼ cup or 4 tablespoon mustard oil or sesame oil - regular sesame oil and not the Asian one
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder (Lal Mirch powder)
• 8 to 9 garlic, thinly sliced (Lahsun)
• 5 to 6 green chilies, slit
• salt as required

Instructions

• First, rinse the bitter gourd well. If there are bruises on the skin, then you can slightly peel off that part. No need to peel the entire bitter gourd.

• Slice the bitter gourd vertically and remove the seeds. Chop the bitter gourd into small pieces.

• Sprinkle salt on the chopped bitter gourd and mix well. Keep this bitter gourd–salt mixture aside for 30 minutes.

• After 30 mins, squeeze the salted bitter gourd and discard the juices. Rinse once again. Drain well and keep aside.

• Heat the mustard oil till it starts smoking. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and fry till the mustard crackles.

• Add garlic and fry for 10-12 seconds. Then add green chilies and fry for 30 seconds.

• Then add bitter gourd/karela. Saute for 7-8 minutes.

• Add vinegar and salt. Stir and bring the pickle mixture to a boil - about 3 to 4 minutes

• Add red chili powder. Stir well again. Let the mixture cool.

• Just cover the pan with a cotton napkin instead of the lid as we don't want condensation droplets on the lid.

• When completely cooled, pour the bitter gourd pickle in a clean sterilized jar.

• Close the jar with its lid and keep the bitter gourd pickle in the refrigerator.

• Serve the bitter gourd or karela pickle with an Indian meal like dal-rice, sambar-rice or curd-rice, or kadhi-rice.