Bittergourd / Karela / Pavakkai is a vegetable very popular among those suffering from diabetes. It is also known as Bitter melon in many countries. As far as the popularity of bittergourd in various cuisines ,it is widely used in Asian and Indian recipes.
Indian recipes use bittergourd in various ways and every region has a unique recipe with Karela .
Bittergourd has a natural tendency to reduce the sugar spikes by way of natural insulin control.
Additionally , bittergourd is an antifungal ,boosts immunity, rich in Vit A and C and also acts as a blood purifier .
Due to its bitter taste , it is disliked by most, especially children . I was introduced to bittergourd by way of these crunchy chips or pakoda and later I got used to the bitterness and now I literally relish Haagalkai Gojju and Pavakkai Pitla .
If you have air fryer ,you may even air fry the chips after marination .These chips when fried on medium flame until crunchy, stays fresh for 3 or 4 days and you can take while traveling. I love these pavakkai chips with sambar rice and rasam rice. It tastes super heavenly.
A very old post from 2018 , which saw the light of the day (March 2025) .I have added a small video snippet on how to fry the chips to get the perfect crunch.
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Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 10-15 mins
Complexity : Medium
Ingredients
2 medium bittergourds
1 tablespoon gram flour /besan / kadala maav
1 tsp rice flour
1-2 tsp of red chilli powder
1 tsp haldi powder
Pinch of asafoetida/hing
salt to taste
oil to deep fry
Method
salt to taste
oil to deep fry
Method
- Cut the head and tail end of the bitter gourd .Roughly scrape the skin using a peeler .This will reduce the bitterness.
- Cut the bittergourd into thin round slices. Remove the seeds from the center of the roundels
- In a mixing bowl, add the slices, the gram flour, rice flour, salt, red chilli powder, salt,hing and a few drops of water and mix it well such that the slices are coated nicely with flour mixture.
- Let it sit in the refrigerator for 20 to 25 mins. This enables the flavors to steep in well.
- Heat the oil for frying and drop the slices one by one into the hot oil and fry.
- Fry until the slices turn crispy and golden brown . Drain it and serve it along with rice , sambar or you can even munch it as a snack.
Oh my karela chips looks tempting priya! This is the only way my kids enjoy bittergourd. Love the idea of refrigerating for the flavors to mingle well. Brilliant share!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely idea with bittergourd! As a family we adore these bittergourds and I am always on the lookout for new ideas with them. These fries will be perfect with sunday meals.
ReplyDeleteHubby loves karela chips. We usually buy them from the hot chip shop but they tend to be very spicy. With your recipe, can try making them at home and adjust the chilli powder according to our taste. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
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