Potato Bitter melon Fry / Aaloo karela sabji

Lately I have become a total National < vegetable name > council, junkie. Today it is the bitter melon

Cooked right, bitter melon definitely grows on you. Have these melons fried, pickled or cooked in a curry base. Two of Andhra Pradesh specialties are, to cook it in a tamarind based gravy and to fry it after stuffing with spiced lentil powder.

If you have a sinister look on your face, wanting to punish that person you secretly hate, using this veggie. You can get there.

Coming to todays recipe 'Potato and bitter melon fry' was something I had at a colleagues place for lunch ,and have been wanting to try it ever since. Here are a few recipes I found online: aalo karela bhaja; fried karela.

The latter seemed like a good base recipe, to build on. And in a true Three Mangoes fashion I ended up adding a pinch of this and a pinch of that. Srini who never eats karela unless it is charred to look like coal, enjoyed this. What else can I say? This will be a staple in our home.Enjoy

Preparation time: 8 mins + 2 hours of soak time
Cooking time: 27 mins
Serves: 4
Cost: Total bummer I threw my grocery bill away :(

3 cups of cut bitter melon (little finger sized pieces)
3 cups of cut potato (same size as the bitter melon)
3/4 cup of onion
1/2 cup of cut tomatoes
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1 tsp of fennel seeds (I added the fennel to give a little sweet spice)
a pinch of garam masala
a pinch of turmeric
1/2 tbsp of red chili powder
4 tbsp of oil
salt to taste

• Cut the bitter melon into little finger sized pieces
• Take 4 cups of water and add 4 tbsp of salt to it
• Soak the pieces in this brine for 2 hours: This will take away most of the bitterness
• Drain it and squeeze all the extra water from the pieces and set it aside
• Meanwhile prep your other vegetables
• In a frying pan / wok heat 4 tbsp of oil on med heat
• Add cumin seeds, fennel seeds and immediately add in the onions
• Saute for about 4 mins till the onions start browning
• Add in the potato and bitter melon
• Add salt, put a lid on and cook for about 15 mins stirring once in between
• Now stir in the tomatoes, remove the lid and cook for another 6 mins
• Add in garam masala and cook on a med-hi flame for another 2 mins.

Serve it with roti. We had it with poori paired with a sweet tomato raita. Enjoy