karela sabzi recipe with step by step photos – this is the punjabi recipe of karela sabji from my mom-in-law. it is a dry bitter gourd curry and makes use of only one additional vegetable in it besides the spices – onions.

this dry and tasty karela sabzi (bitter gourd or bitter melon) is a quick and easy version which is often made in our house, when we do not have enough time for making bharwa karela (stuffed karela). the ingredients used are similar in both these recipes, except for the method of cooking. apart from this other karela recipes i make at home are:

• karela fry
• karela pickle recipe

now before i mention step by step details about the karela recipe, lets take a sneak peek on the health benefits of karela or bitter gourd:

1. purifies blood.
2. excellent for people having diabetes.
3. improves constipation and piles.
4. helpful in healing skin disorders.
5. besides being good in B Vitamins and Vitamin C, karela is also rich in minerals like iron, valcium and phosphorous.

i always make sure that i include karela in our food once or twice a month. it is in fact one of my favorite veggie and i simply love this recipe, the bharwan karela that my mom-in-law makes and the karela chips which my mother makes.

4.27 from 15 votes

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karela sabzi recipe

karela ki sabji recipe - dry bitter gourd curry made in north indian style. this is a quick and easy bitter gourd recipe.

course side dish

cuisine north indian

prep time 10 minutes

cook time 20 minutes

total time 30 minutes

servings 3

rough calories per serving 131 kcal

author dassana

ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 250 grams karela or 5 small to mediums sized karela or 2 cups chopped karela (bitter gourd)
• 200 grams onions or 2 large onions or 1.5 cups thinly sliced onions (pyaaz)
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
• salt as per taste
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• ½ to 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder), add as required

how to make karela sabzi recipe

preparation for karela sabzi recipe

1. rinse and then peel karela. then chop in small pieces. 

2. remove the seeds while chopping. if the karela is small and tender, then these will have tender seeds and they cannot be removed. 

3. if karela is very bitter, then add some salt on chopped karela pieces. mix very well and allow this mixture to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. then squeeze the karela and rinse them very well in water again. this will get rid of some bitterness from the karela.

making karela sabzi

1. in a kadai or pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil.

2. let the oil become hot. then reduce the flame to a low and add the chopped karela.

3. mix chopped karela with oil and sauté on a low to medium-low flame. stir often while sautéing.

4. sauté the karela for 4 to 5 minutes. 

5. then add 1.5 cups thinly sliced onions.

6. mix the sliced onions with the karela. sprinkle some water if onion or karela starts sticking to pan.

7. sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teasoon kashmiri red chili powder and salt as per taste. mix very well.

8. on a low flame continue to sauté stirring often.

9. sauté karela sabji for 10 to 12 minutes till the both the karela and onions are cooked. the onions will also become golden and caramelize. keep on stirring often. 

10. when the karela sabzi is ready, sprinkle dry mango powder and garam masala. 

11. mix very well and then switch off the flame.

12. serve karela sabzi with phulkas, parathas and a bowl of fresh plain curd or sweetened curd. this dry bitter gourd curry also goes very well as a side vegetable dish or accompaniment with the combination of dal rice or kadhi chawal. you can garnish with some coriander leaves if you want.

recipe notes

important tips for this karela sabji recipe

1. how to remove bitterness from karela - in india, we do not get extremely bitter karelas. but, if you get the karela which are very bitter, then mix some salt on the chopped karela and keep aside for 20 to 30 minutes. the salt extracts the bitterness. rinse in water and then use in the recipe. alternatively, you could also put them in salted water. keep them in the salted water for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse them with fresh water and then add them to the recipe.
2. a few updates from readers' comments: karela seeds can be weeded out due to the reason that they are toxic and should be avoided during pregnancy. red arils (covering on seeds) are reportedly toxic in children, causing vomiting, diarrhea, and sickness.

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How to make Karela Sabzi Recipe

1. rinse and then peel 250 grams karela or 5 small to medium sized karela. wash them in running water. then chop in small pieces. remove the seeds while chopping. if the karela is small and tender, then these will have tender seeds and they cannot be removed. if karela is very bitter, then add some salt on chopped karela pieces. mix very well and allow this mixture to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. then squeeze the karela and rinse them very well in water. this will get rid of some bitterness from the karela.

2. in a kadai or pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil. let the oil become hot. then reduce the flame to a low and add the chopped karela.

3. mix chopped karela with oil and sauté on a low to medium-low flame. stir often while sautéing.

4. sauté the karela for 4 to 5 minutes.

5. then add 1.5 cups thinly sliced onions.

6. mix the sliced onions with the karela.

7. sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder and salt as per taste.

8. mix very well.

9. on a low flame continue to sauté stirring often. sprinkle some water if onions or karela starts sticking to pan.

10. sauté for 10 to 12 minutes on a low or medium-low flame till the both the karela and onions are cooked. the onions will also become golden and caramelize. keep on stirring in between. check the seasoning. add more red chili powder or salt if required.

11. when the karela sabzi is ready, sprinkle the dry mango powder and garam masala powder.

12. mix very well and then switch off the flame.

serve karela sabzi with phulkas, parathas and a bowl of fresh plain curd (yogurt) or sweetened curd. this dry bitter gourd curry also goes very well as a side vegetable dish or accompaniment with the combination of dal rice or kadhi chawal ( punjabi curd kadhi with rice). you can garnish with some coriander leaves if you want.

dassana

Founder, Designer, Recipe Developer, Food Photographer || MORE ABOUT US

i started vegrecipesofindia.com in feb 2009. it is a pure vegetarian blog and shares recipes with step by step photos that will help you to make delicious and tasty vegetarian food easily.

i am passionate about cooking from childhood and learnt cooking from my elders. having a home science degree greatly enhanced my cooking & baking skills and took it to a different level which i now share as foolproof recipes. i was trained both in mainstream indian as well as international cuisines.