Karela Bitter Gourd Fresh Chips
Karela Chips From Fresh Karela
Mamta Gupta
Bitter Gourd or Carilla fruit is a tropical vegetable, botanical name Momordica charantia Linn Other names in India alone are; Karela, Kareli, Karala, Kerula, Uchchh, Kakara, Kaaya, Kura, Kurela-jangro, Karle, Pakal, Pavakkachedi, Pavakkayi, Hagala kayi, Karathay, Kaippa, Kaippavalli, Paval, Karavella, Sushavi. It is a very popular vegetable in India and China. It is an acquired taste, like chillies, and you either love or hate it. Chinese Karela looks less spiky than the Indian one and is perhaps a little less bitter. It has been used in Ayurvediac medicine for centuries, it contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, B1 and B2 and vitamin C. It’s juice is an excellent skin tonic and it’s good for itching, rash, acne, boils, scabies, ringworm and psoriasis. Eaten as a vegetable or it’s juice taken as a drink, it helps to lower blood sugar in diabetics, because it contains high doses of "plant insulin". It is antipyretic (reduces fever). For medicinal purpose, it is best to have juice of raw karela, which is extremely bitter.
Karela chips are slightly bitter in taste, as the name suggests, but to those who love karela, they are delicious! Chips can be served as part of a meal or as a snack with drinks. Serves 4-6
Ingredients
5-6 bitter gourds or karelas of medium size. Make sure they are not too ripe. They have hard seeds and karelas not so tasty.
Oil for deep frying
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. home made Garam Masala
Instructions
Wash, wipe dry and slice gourds into 5 mm. thick slices.
Heat oil in a wok or karahi.
Fry a good handful of karela slices at a time, until they look brownish and partly crisp. This may take up to 15-20 minutes. Take out onto kitchen paper, to get rid of excess oil.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and Garam Masala or sprinkle a little Chat Masala. Mix.
Serve warm or cold.
Notes
Also see Bitter Gourd Chips Dry.
