Korola Alu (Stir fried Bitter Gourd with Potatoes)

It’s not a secret anymore. I am pregnant! Just started my 6th month and wow we are so excited! I am due in April so very soon the countdown is going to start. Now before I start getting all hormonal and maybe too distracted to work on my first child (Life Without Alu?), I am going to post as many recipes as I can. 

So, my friends keep asking me what I want to eat, what all I am craving for. And believe it or not the cravings come and go so fast that I can’t usually think of anything when anyone asks. I do want to thank everyone for offering because seems like very soon I will take you guys up on that. 

In other news, I am back from my long vacation and it went very well. I enjoyed a lot at my sister’s wedding. So happy I went a month ahead because there was so much to do and it gave me ample time to rest and recover and do things at my own pace. Now I am back and I am loving my new routine. Unpacking is over and now I am in the cleaning, arranging and sorting phase because when you are pregnant, there are many clothes that don’t fit you and many which are uncomfortable. Same goes with the food. Although I love spicy foods, eating them late at night gives me acidity so these days I am cooking less spicy foods which are quick to cook with only a handful of ingredients. Believe it or not, I love the bitter taste of Korola and that is exactly what I am going to cook today.

Bitter gourd or Karela as we call it in Hindi is one of my favorite vegetables. However, I never tell anyone that I love it. Why? Because people cook it in different ways, often they cook with seeds or they keep it in an almost boiled texture which I don’t like at all. Korola for me has to be seedless and fried until it is almost crunchy with a reddish color. I love starting my meals with Korola Alu and just a little bit of ghee. It tastes even more flavorful if you have cold and want to have something bold which can help cleanse the palate. This simple stir fry is prepared by frying potatoes and bitter gourd in mustard oil. 

I think the best part of this delicious stir-fry is, it can be served with rice or roti, for lunch or dinner. If you have never had bitter gourd before, it may be a little bold for you at first. Mind you Korola is a highly nutritious vegetable. Health.com states that it is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folate, zinc, phosphorus and manganese. Korola has high dietary fiber and is rich in iron. It contains twice the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach and twice the potassium of a banana. However, I will say it straight, when it comes to Korola there is no mid way. You will either love it or hate it. Liking something bitter is certainly an acquired taste and it also depends on the way it has been cooked. Luckily, I am one of those people who absolutely love Korola. I can eat my entire meal with Korola Bhaja or Korola Alu. This may amaze you but my love for bitter gourd is not new. I have always loved it even as a kid. You may find it strange but it sure helped keep my skin healthy when all my classmates were struggling with pimples. 

If you like bitter gourd this recipe is a must try. If you have never tried it before, what are you waiting for? Post your photos and comments using my hashtag #lifewithoutalu

Ingredients:

• Bitter Gourd – 4, big
• Potato – 1, medium, cut into cubes 
• Mustard Oil – 2 tablespoons
• Green Chilies – 2, washed and broken in halves
• Panch Fhoron – 1 teaspoon
• Red Chili Powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Salt – ½ teaspoon
• Amchur Powder – ½ teaspoon

Tip: You can also use boiled potatoes for this. Just mash it and add it after you slightly fry the bitter gourd.

Directions:

• Cut the bitter gourd lengthwise. Using a spoon scrape out the seeds. Cut it into thin slices.

• Heat a wok on medium- high heat.
• Add the Mustard Oil in it. 
• Pat dry the Potatoes.
• When the oil begins to smoke, reduce the heat to medium low so that it cools off a bit. This is done to remove the pungent taste and smell of the Mustard Oil.
• Increase the heat to medium and if you are adding Green Chilies then this is the time to add them in the oil. Also add the Panch Fhoron.

• When the seeds start sputtering, add the Potatoes. 
• Fry till the Potatoes are golden brown in color.
• Add the bitter gourd and fry till it looks fried or reddish in color.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and start adding the spices (Red Chili Powder, Turmeric Powder and Salt).
• Mix well and cover and cook for about 10 minutes so that the vegetables are well cooked. Add the Amchur Powder and cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes. 
• Korola Alu is ready! Serve with hot steamed rice and a dollop of ghee or hot roti.

 

Love Indian vegetarian dishes? Try these as well:

• Korola Peyaj (Stir Fried Bitter Gourd with Onion)
• Rajma (Indian curry with Red Kidney Beans)
• Kadhi (Gram Flour Fritters in Yogurt Sauce)
• Baingan ka Bharta (Punjabi recipe: Eggplant with Onion and Garlic)
• Alu Posto (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with Poppy Seeds)
• Masala Alu (Stir fried Potatoes with Indian spices)
• Kalo Jeere diye Alur Torkari (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with Nigella Seeds)
• Bhindi Kalonji – Okra with Indian spices
• Alu Kopir Torkari (Potatoes with Cauliflower Stir Fry/ Curry)
• Amritsari Chole (Delicious Chick Pea gravy with Fresh Cheese)
• Borboti Alur Torkari (Beans sautéed with spices and Potatoes)
• Bandakopi Alur Torkari (Mamma’s Cabbage in curried Potatoes)
• Kathal ki Sabji (Enchor/Jackfruit in a Tomato Curry)
• Alu Peyaj er Chochchori (Bengali recipe: Stir fried Potatoes with Onion)