Karele ka Masala

I know, I know. You must be wondering if it is really possible to make something out of bittergourd, and moreover getting your family to eat it ! But this recipe is sure to delight you and all. But, spare atleast 20 min to cook this dish up. Well, you dont have to do anything while this is cooking, except sipping your tea! :)

Ingredients:

1. Karela/Bittergourd -  2 large - cut into 4 - 5 pieces each, with an incision or an X made on top
2. Peanuts - handful
3. Red Chillies - 6 
4. Cumin seeds - a tbspn
5. Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
6. Oil - 1 tbpsn
7. Salt
8. Turmeric
9. Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbspn
10. Tamarind Paste - 1/2 tbspn
11. Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbspn
12. Tomatoes - 5 large, one cut into just 4 pieces, to be later blended. And the remaining 4, chopped finely.
13. Large Green Chillies - 1, cut into strips (optional)
14. Fresh Coriander Leaves - a handful, finely chopped. 

Procedure:

1. In a heavy bottomed dish, steam your bittergourd till they are almost soft, and change color. (You can add salt and a little sugar at this stage, but I generally avoid both. )
2. meanwhile in another dish, roast the peanuts, jeera and red chillies. Roast till the peanuts and jeera start crackling and the peanuts change color 
3. take out the dry roast ingredients, add the oil to the same empty dish and start cooking some of your masalas:
4. first add in the ginger garlic paste, and cook while stirring. 
5. add in the chopped tomatoes and some of the coriander and let the mixture cook. 
6. meanwhile grind your roasted peanut mixture, till it becomes an almost fine powder. 
7. Take out this mixture, add in the one chopped tomato, and blend till it is almost a paste. 
8. now add in the peanut mixture and blend again, so that you get a paste of the peanut mixture and tomato. 
9. add this mixture to the dish that is cooking on the stove. 
10. start cooking this mixture, by adding about half a cup of water. 
11. This mixture will tend to come together sooner than usual, thanks to the peanut mixture in it. So add in the turmeric, chillie powder, garam masala and tamarind paste to the mixture and cook for another 3 min
12. Add in sugar and salt and cook for another 2-3 min. 
13. By this time your bittergourd would have cooked well. So add the vegetable to the mixture, cover and cook for another 10 min, till all the flavors get into the vegetable. 
14. Garnish with remaining coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Bread/Rice!

P.S. Will post the picture soon..