Kalara Bhaja in Sorisha Batta/ Karela Sarson Fry /Bitter gourd in cooked mustard sauce
Every kid has his own tale of avoiding Bitter Gourd or Karela. The meal haunts our life like anything when your platter has a portion of bitter gourd. But, every Indian mom would be stubborn and determined in this affair to make the kid eat his share of bitterness to get a “Super Shakti” to avoid diseases.
Like every mom and grandma, mine too were busy convincing me that they have “A bittery vegetable to make my life better !”
This is not an innovation, rather a traditional crunchy dry side dish served with rice platter in Odisha. Its flavored with the mustard paste and garnished with crispy fried Badis/Sun dried Urad daal dumpling.
The mustard flavored kalara bhaja goes like this:
Ingredients:
- Bitter Gourd – 2 medium sized
- Potato – 1 medium sized
- Mustard Paste – 2 tbsp
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Panch Phoron or Phutan – 2 tsp
- Salt – according to the taste
- Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
- Badi or Sun dried Urad daal dumplings – 2-3 medium pieces
- Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
Kalara Bhaja Ingredients
Steps of Preparation:
- Cut the bitter gourd into rings. Either you can keep it of that shape or if it’s too large, cut the rings into equal quarters like I did in this recipe.
- Cut the potato in equal shape and size as that of the bitter gourd that gives the dish an even look.
- Heat the pan, and add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add the Badis and saute it till its golden brown.
- Take the badis off the pan and place it in a plate.
- Heat the pan, add 2 tbsp oil .
- Add the Panch phoron or phutan and let it splutter for a minute or so.
- Add the bitter gourd and potato and saute it.
- Add the turmeric powder and salt and cover the preparation with a lid.
- Fry it till the veggies are half cooked. Add the mustard paste and mix the veggies and cover back the lid.
- After the veggies are properly cooked in the mustard falvor. Crush the badis and add to veggies.
- After a minute you can serve the Kalara Sorisha Bhaja with Pakhala or rice platter.
Kalara Bhaja flavored in Mustard Paste
It’s bitter but has nutrients that will make you feel better !
- Bitter Gourd – 2 medium sized
- Potato – 1 medium sized
- Mustard Paste – 2 tbsp
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Panch Phoron or Phutan – 2 tsp
- Salt – according to the taste
- Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
- Badi or Sun dried Urad daal dumplings – 2-3 medium pieces
- Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
- Cut the bitter gourd into rings. Either you can keep it of that shape or if it’s too large, cut the rings into equal quarters like I did in this recipe.
- Cut the potato in equal shape and size as that of the bitter gourd that gives the dish an even look.
- Heat the pan, and add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add the Badis and saute it till its golden brown.
- Take the badis off the pan and place it in a plate.
- Heat the pan, add 2 tbsp oil .
- Add the Panch phoron or phutan and let it splutter for a minute or so.
- Add the bitter gourd and potato and saute it.
- Add the turmeric powder and salt and cover the preparation with a lid.
- Fry it till the veggies are half cooked. Add the mustard paste and mix the veggies and cover back the lid.
- After the veggies are properly cooked in the mustard falvor. Crush the badis and add to veggies.
- After a minute you can serve the Kalara Sorisha Bhaja with Pakhala or rice platter.
Amazing !! I tried n loved it!!