Ingredients:

• 12 – Bitter gourds (karelas)
• 1 tbsp – Ginger paste
• 1 tbsp – Garlic paste
• 1 tsp – Turmeric powder
• Butter for basting and greasing
• Salt to taste
• For filling:
• 150g – paneer, grated
• 60g – groundnuts
• 1 tbsp – sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp – Coconut
• 1 tsp – Cumin seeds
• 1 – large Onions
• 5 cm – ginger, julienned
• 1 cup – coriander powder
• 1 tsp – chilli powder
• 1 tbsp – jaggery, crushed
• Salt to taste
• For tempering:
• 3 tbsp – sesame oil
• 1 tsp – Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp – Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp – Fenugreek seeds
• 15 to 18 – Curry leaves

Method:

1. Wash and slit the bitter gourds on one side.
2. Remove the seeds and rub with salt.
3. Arrange on a tray and tilt at an angle to drain bitter juices at least for an hour.
4. Set aside the bitter gourds overnight, if you prefer them to be less bitter.
5. Put enough water in a pan.
6. Add salt, ginger paste, garlic paste, and turmeric powder.
7. Stir and bring to a boil.
8. Add the bitter gourds and blanch them until soft.
9. Drain and keep aside.
10. To prepare filling:
11. Remove the brown skin and roughly chop the coconut.
12. Dry-roast the coconut, groundnuts, sesame seeds, and cumin seeds in a frying pan until each emits its unique aroma.
13. Hold the onions with tongs and roast them directly over the flame until the skin is charred.
14. Cool, peel, and roughly chop the onions.
15. Grind all these ingredients, except paneer, with 1 cup of water to a fine paste.
16. Add paneer, ginger, jaggery, coriander powder, and chilli powder to the paste and mix well. To prepare tempering:
17. Heat oil in a frying pan and season with cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and fenugreek seeds.
18. Stir over medium heat until they begin to crackle.
19. Add curry leaves and stir.
20. Pour over the paste, mix well, and divide into 12 equal portions.
21. Put a portion of the filling into each of the blanched bitter gourds.
22. Arrange them in a greased roasting tray with the slit side on top. Cover with foil.
23. Punch a few holes in the foil.
24. Cook on dum in a preheated oven at 275 degree Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, basting at regular intervals.
25. Remove and uncover.
26. Serve with potatoes tempered with cumin seeds and buttered seasonal vegetables on the side.

Recipe courtesy of Rehana Khatri