Karela Fruit Pulp

Karela Fruit Pulp

Benefits

Karela juice may provide many impressive health benefits, including lowering blood sugar levels and boosting skin health. More research is needed to determine if it can help reduce belly fat.
Karela juice is also consumed around the world as a beauty aid. Many believe it can help boost your skin’s glow.
Karela juice is a rich source of antioxidants, including vitamin C and provitamin A, both of which are important for healthy skin and wound healing .
In one study, rats that were topically treated with bitter melon extract experienced significantly faster wound healing. This effect was even seen in rats with diabetes.
In non-Western medicinal practices, karela juice has been used to manage symptoms of psoriasis, eczema, and ulcers. However, these applications need to be explored formally in human studies.
While bitter melon and its juice have a long history in folk medicine, more research is needed to determine how they may affect skin health
It also lowers bad cholesterol benefits.

How to grow?

Sunlight: Bitter gourd thrives in late spring when the summer is just picking up. The crop should receive minimum six hours of bright sunlight every day until the seeds germinate.

Spacing : Soaking the seeds prior to sowing helps them to germinate faster. Make ½ inch deep holes in the land to sow bitter gourd seeds. Space them 10 cms apart to ensure the creepers won’t eat into each other.

Growth : As the plants grow, they require the support of a trellis to creep higher. You can make a wooden trellis that can be used for all kinds of creeper plants. Sow the seeds near the trellis so that the plant doesn’t spread on the ground and rot. If you do not get a wooden support, fix up a plastic rope or wire to make a temporary arrangement for the creeper. Use Organic Growth Promoter Combo to increase plant flowering and fruiting and increase disease resistance.

Height and Spreading: The bitter gourd plant grows very tall and spreads all across the trellis. Never prune the plant because the flowering process might be interrupted. Allow it to spread until the fruit appears. If you plan of re-planting bitter gourd, leave the fruits to dry and open up. The seeds can be collected and sown again for another crop.

Temperature: Anywhere between 18 degrees Celsius to 24 degrees Celsius is vital to grow bitter gourd. If the night temperature drops, use a shade to cover the plants.

Recipe:

Karela Sabzi

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil

250 grams karela or 5 small to mediums sized karela or 2 cups chopped karela (bitter gourd)

200 grams onions or 2 large onions or 1.5 cups thinly sliced onions

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder

salt as per taste

½ teaspoon garam masala powder

½ to 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder), add as required

Method:

preparation

Rinse and then peel karela. Then chop in small pieces.

Remove the seeds while chopping. If the karela is small and tender, then these will have tender seeds and they cannot be removed.

If karela is very bitter, then add some salt on chopped karela pieces. Mix very well and allow this mixture to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Then squeeze the karela and rinse them very well in water again. This will get rid of some bitterness from the karela.

making karela sabzi

In a kadai or pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil.

Let the oil become hot. Then reduce the flame to a low and add the chopped karela.

Mix chopped karela with oil and sauté on a low to medium-low flame. Stir often while sautéing.

Sauté the karela for 4 to 5 minutes.

Then add 1.5 cups thinly sliced onions.

Mix the sliced onions with the karela. Sprinkle some water if onion or karela starts sticking to pan.

Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teasoon kashmiri red chili powder and salt as per taste. mix very well.

On a low flame continue to sauté stirring often.

Sauté the sabji for 10 to 12 minutes till the both the karela and onions are cooked. The onions will also become golden and caramelize. Keep on stirring often.

When the sabji is ready, sprinkle dry mango powder and garam masala.

Mix very well and then switch off the flame.

Serve karela sabzi with phulkas, parathas and a bowl of fresh plain curd or sweetened curd. This dry bitter gourd curry also goes very well as a side vegetable dish or accompaniment with the combination of dal rice or kadhi chawal. You can garnish with some coriander leaves if you want.

Bharwan Karela Recipe

Ingredients:

6-8 karelas

1 Tbsp salt

Mix together for the masala:

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1 Tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp roasted cumin

1/8 tsp asafoetida

1 tsp fennel seeds-roasted and coarsely pounded

1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds-roasted and coarsely pounded

2 Tbsp mustard oil

Method:

1.Scrape off the rough surface of the bitter gourd; slit length wise on one side, rub all over with 1 tbsp salt and keep aside for about 30 minutes.

2.Squeeze the bitter gourd to remove the bitter juice and scoop out the hard seeds, if any.

3.Stuff the filling firmly into the bitter gourd. In a pan, heat 2 Tbsp of oil and add the bitter gourd.

4.Turn over a few times on high flame.

5.Reduce heat and cook covered, till tender, stirring a few times so the vegetables are cooked and browned all round.

References: