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Korola bhaji
Fried bitter gourd
Korola bhaji: thin bitter gourd slices fried crisp with onion and turmeric
Bangladeshi families often start lunch with a little korola bhaji, eaten with the first mouthfuls of rice because its bitterness is said to wake up the appetite. Paper-thin slices of bitter gourd are salted, squeezed and fried in mustard oil with onion and turmeric until crisp at the edges and only gently bitter. The mistake that ruins it is crowding the pan: the slices steam instead of fry and turn soft and soggy. Chef's tip: if it is your first time, salt the slices a few minutes longer and squeeze them harder; much of the bitterness goes out with the juice.
- Total time
- 24 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 bitter gourdsabout 300 g, halved lengthways, seeds scraped out, sliced paper-thin
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 3 tbsp mustard oilor vegetable oil
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 1 green chilli (optional)sliced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Toss 2 bitter gourds with ⅔ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground turmeric and leave for 10 minutes, until the slices sweat. Squeeze them firmly in your hands and drain off the bitter juice.
10 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until shimmering.
1 minStep 3: Add the bitter gourd in a single layer and fry, stirring now and then, until the slices are turning golden at the edges.
5 minStep 4: Add 1 onion, 1 green chilli, the rest of ¼ tsp ground turmeric and ⅓ tsp salt and keep frying until the onion is browned and the gourd is crisp and dark golden.
6 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper for a minute and serve warm with rice and daal.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does korola bhaji take?
- About 24 minutes in total: 12 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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