Read the column to learn about my love-hate relationship, with this vegetable, as a child and how much I love it now. Email me for the recipe.
Karaila, bitter gourd, bitter melon, bitter squash, caraili
Sauteed baby shrimp that I used to stuff the karaila. You can vary the stuffing, some people use minced meat, chicken or vegetables.
Karaila stuffed with shrimp
Stuffed karaila tied with kitchen string to keep in the stuffing during the cooking process. Tooth-picks can also be used.
Saute karaila, turning and browning all around.
This is the finished dish after it has simmered in a flavourful, spicy sauce. Use coconut milk or water, which ever you prefer.I ate my kalounjie with rice but you can eat it with roti as well,
25 comments:
A very nice recipe...thanks Cynthia.
karela is my favourite veggie of all. can you send me the recipe, hun? i'll try stuffing it with something vegetarian.
I don't know calounjie stuffed with meat - at least I don't think so. I know it's cooked with a lot of amchar massala and you can smell it through the whole village when it's cooking. But I am not sure of what else, since I don't eat it :-) I do love caraili sliced and fried up with potatoes though!
@ Chennette - in addition to the amchar massala, shrimp, meat, fish and vegetables can used for the filling. The TT Multi-cultural cuisine suggests it also.
Fried up with potatoes - that's a new one and I'll definitely try it.
Ah! I consulted - Mom makes kalounjie without really stuffing it, other than with the massala and pepper etc. That's why I am not in the know. She, however, does indeed know about stuffed kalounjie. I just don't eat it. But I think I said that already. I do love shrimp though, so maybe stuffed with something would be nice.
@ Chennette - my mom made it when we were kids but more for herself than for us :) As I said in my column, my siblings and I hated karaila because it meant we would have to drink the bitters. But that was back then. Now, I can't do without this vegetable, I really like it fried without anything, dry and to eat it with dhal and rice.
We call it Hagalkai in Kannada and Karela in Hindi,my husband loves it.
Asha, I am learning something new everyday. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks a million for dropping by else I wouldnt have known about such a lovely blog of yours.
btw yes, the Laddus can be made with fresh coconuts, It tastes great. But it should be grated filely. Pls feel free to ask doubts on any of my recipes and any help on any recipes you did not understand.
cheers
sharmi
@ Sharmi - thank you! And I will take you up on your offer to help on any of the recipes I am not clear about.
Karela stuffed with shrimp? now thats something new. I would love to try it sometime.
@ Shilpa - you should :))
Dear Cynthia, I have a lot of craze for travelling, so was researching on where Barbados was after your comments and was amazed to know that you live in a beautiful Island in the Caribbean. It must be a full time vacation all 12 months. I would like to know more about your place, your passion for the place, the food, people, culture and anything special about Barbados. Hope you dont mind writing to me on it.
Pls do email me at sharmikomal@gmail.com.
thanks
sharmi
Carrailli is a great vegetable and it can be cooked in a variety of ways in addition to being stuffed with meat /shrimp or amchar and kuchela
Fried with thinly sliced potatoes, onions and salted fish ;
Cooked dry with amchar massala, seasonings, pepper and with some coconut milk;
Cooked with a mixture of vegetables like Spinach and Pigeon Peas all together with a spicy curry powder and well seasoned in coconut milk. Goes great with rice and dhal or hot sada roti.
Trinimom, thanks for the suggestions. Will definitely try them. I like it fried dry to eat with dhal and rice.
When are you going to post about the difference in dough mixture for dhal puri and paratha roti? Looking forward to it.
Cynthia - I will try to remind Mom :-D
woh!!! very different recipe cynthia.
we never mix bittergourd in our cuisine, my mom used to make stuffed(red chillies, garlic and gra flour) bittergourd which are so yummy
Yours look so authentic and so different. have to give it a try as i love shrimps!!
both my favs!!!
thank you
@ Chennette - Thanks.
Cynthia, your post on dining hall prompted me to check out your blog and now I am bookmarking it for further reading. Would have missed your blog, had I not read your post :)
Thanks!
Shn
Shn, thank you. I've just book-marked you as well.
Your blog rocks!
Cynthia, got here from Dining Hall, you have a great blog! I had no idea that Guyanese cuisine is so similar to Indian... Loved your post on DH, looking forward to more.
Kalounjie stuffed with shrimp, that is something new, looks great, will try it.
Cynthia, I had never seen that kind of vegetable. I don't think it is available in Spain, but the recipe looks so delicious with the shrimps inside......
Thank you for your kind words, you seem so be a very nice person indeed.
I also like Bitter gourd now and loved the stuffed pan fried version of it.
Wow Cynthia we do make karela and stuffing it with shrimp is the best thing that can ever happen ;) , because I am not very fond of karela but eat it because its healthy whereas shrimp is my favorite :)
@ Sandeepa - so what way do you like to have it since it is not your favourite? :))
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