Andhra Pradesh Recipes
 
Dum ka Karela  
   
Serves 4

Ingredients
12 bitter gourds (karelas) 15 g garlic paste
Salt to taste 1 tsp (5 g) turmeric powder
15 g ginger paste Butter for basting and greasing.

For Filling
Ingredients
150 g paneer, grated 5 cm ginger, julienned
60 g groundnuts 1 1/2 tsp (7 g) coriander powder
1tbs (15g) sesame seeds 1 tsp (5 g) chili powder
15 g coconut Salt to taste
1 tsp (5 g) cumin seeds 2 tbs (30 ml) tamarind pulp
2 (120 g) large onions 15 g jaggery, crushed

For tempering
Ingredients
3 tbs (45 ml) sesame oil 1/4 tsp (1 g) fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp (2 g) cumin seeds 24 curry leaves
1/2 tsp (2 g) mustard seeds  

Method
Wash and slit the bitter gourds on one side. Remove the seeds and rub with salt. Arrange on a tilting tray and keep aside for at least an hour. (Keep the bitter gourds overnight if you prefer them to be even less bitter).
Put enough water in a pan. Add salt, ginger paste, garlic paste, and turmeric powder. Stir and bring to a boil.
Add the bitter gourds and blanch them until soft. Drain and keep aside.

To prepare the filling
Remove the brown skin and roughly chop the coconut. Dry roast the coconut, groundnuts, sesame seeds and cumin seeds in a frying pan until each emits its unique aroma. Hold the onions with tongs and roast them directly over the flame until the skin is charred. Cool, peel and roughly chop the onions. Grind all these ingredients, except paneer, with 1/4th cup water to fine paste.
Add paneer, ginger, jaggery, coriander powder and chili powder to the paste and mix well.

To prepare the tempering
Heat oil in a frying pan and season with cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Stir over medium heat until they begin to crackle. Add curry leaves and stir. Pour over the paste, mix well and divide into 12 equal portions. Put a portion of the filling into each of the blanched bitter gourds. Arrange them in a greased roasting tray with the slit side on top. Cover with foil. Punch a few holes in the foil and cook on dum in the pre-heated oven at 275oF for 30 minutes, basting at regular intervals. Remove and uncover.

To serve
Remove to a serving dish and serve with cumin-tempered whole potatoes and buttered seasonal vegetables on the side.

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION PER SERVING

MACRONUTRIENTS MICRONUTRIENTS
Energy (Kcal) 533 Carotene ( μg ) 91.55
Protein (g) 15.45 Vitamin C(mg) 4.425
Carbohydrate (g) 33.26 Mg  (mg) 78.01
Fat (g) 37.49 Na  (mg) 5.0
Fibre (g) 4.40 K  (mg) 276.6
Minerals (g) 3.89 Mn  (mg) 0.76
Calcium  (mg) 222.70 Zn  (mg) 1.90
Phosphorus  (mg) 231.33 Cr  (mg) 0.028
Iron  (mg) 5.24    

Modification
Reduce the amount of oil used for preparation.
Use low fat paneer for preparation

Ingredients
12 bitter gourds (karelas) 15 g garlic paste
Salt to taste 1 tsp (5 g) turmeric powder
15 g ginger paste Butter for basting and greasing.

For Filling
Ingredients
150 g paneer, grated 5 cm ginger, julienned
60 g groundnuts 1 1/2 tsp (7 g) coriander powder
1tbs (15g) sesame seeds 1 tsp (5 g) chili powder
15 g coconut Salt to taste
1 tsp (5 g) cumin seeds 2 tbs (30 ml) tamarind pulp
2 (120 g) large onions

15 g jaggery, crushed


For tempering
Ingredients
2 tbs (45 ml) sesame oil 1/4 tsp (1 g) fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp (2 g) cumin seeds 24 curry leaves
1/2 tsp (2 g) mustard seeds  

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION PER SERVING
MACRONUTRIENTS
Energy (Kcal) 499
Protein (g) 15.45
Carbohydrate (g) 33.26
Fat (g) 33.74
Fibre (g) 4.4
Minerals (g) 3.89