Kakara Kaya Vepudu - Bitter Gourd Stir fry
As a child, just hearing the word ‘Kakarakaya’ aka ‘bittergourd’ from my mother would keep me away from the day’s meal. It was only as a young teenager that I began to start liking it ever since I tasted a bittergourd stir fry with toasted cashewnuts at a cousin’s wedding. I would never have tasted it had I known it was bittergourd. It didn’t look like bittergourd that I disliked but with pleasing looks, an appetite-pleasing vegetable stir fry, cashewnuts and all. When told it was kakarakaya vepudu, with disbelief writ on my face, I asked for a second helping. My love for this knobbly, bitter-tasting vegetable grew leaps and bounds since then.
Sometimes we’re hesistant to give vegetables that we are resistant to, a second chance to prove themselves. Bittergourd haters, maybe you should give bittergourd a second try, you’ll be sold forever. 
And those with diabetes should definitely give bittergourd high priority in their daily meals.
The following is a favorite in our home, a nicely roasted stir fry with a tangy sweet flavor.
Kakarakaya Vepudu Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 40 mts
Serves: 3-4
Cuisine: Andhra
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1/4 kg bitter gourd, peel, slice into rounds
big pinch turmeric pwd
1 1/2 tbsp tamarind paste (adjust)
2 medium onions, finely sliced
1-2 tsps jaggery pwd
1 1/2 tbsps oil
salt to taste
For seasoning/poppu/tadka:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of asafoetida/hing/inguva
10-12 curry leaves
Dry roast and make a fine powder:
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 dry red chillies
pinch of fenugreek seeds/methi
1 Add two cups of water, tamarind paste, turmeric and salt to the peeled bittergourd rounds. Cook for 15 mts or till the bitter gourds are three-fourth cooked. Drain any left over water and keep aside the cooked bitter gourd pieces.
2 Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Add the curry leaves and asafoetida and stir fry for a few seconds. Add the sliced onions and fry for 6-7 mts till they turn brown.
3 Add the ground spice pwd and jaggery and combine well.
4 Add the cooked bitter gourds and stir fry. Constantly stir fry on medium heat ensuring they don’t burn or stick to the pan. Keep frying till they well roasted and this could take about 15-18 mts.
5 Adust salt and serve hot with rice.
By sailu • Sep 15th, 2008 • Category: All Recipes, Andhra Recipes, Stir Fries, Vegetables, Vegetarian Recipes
Same here when i was younger i hated when my mom made this bitter gourd. I was always forced to eat it as she said they are very good….
Thanks for a nice recipe
i hate bitter gourd! but my mom used to make this dish with lots and lots of onions and then trick me into eating it
I love these even when i was a kid…huh! I am lying….i have never come across kids who love these but as u grow u tend to like them due to their health benefits :).Now i try to make them often…
Wo ho….give me a choice between paneer and bittergourd and i wud pick karela anytime….i can eat it day in and out….stirfried,deepfried,in curries,with onions,stuffed karelas,and i even sundry the scraps of karela skins and roast it on Tawa with bit of salt,till crisp brown…it tastes heavenly with smooth gourd curry along with piping hot khichdi….gosh i m craving for some bitter wonder now….
I am gonna make this tomorrow itself …lovely recipe !
Bitter gourd is my all time favourite specially with plain rice and dal. Good recipe of karela. Thank u.
Hi Sailu ,
i’m Punitha.
Your recipe is a different one to me.
Usually I roast bittergourd only with salt and chilli powder and
turmeric powder.
But yours is very nice to see and i’ll try it tomorrow itself.
Thank you Sailu…
Bitter melon is an all time favourite veggie to me. This recipe looks something different. Gonna try it soon.
wonderful sailu, bitter gaurd (karela) is my favourite vegetable. and u have provided me such a delicious recipe. thanks.
I too hated Kakarakaya, I can have them now knowing the health benefits. Nice recipe. Will try them
I always loved this veggie for the unusual bitter taste
Looks tasty ur meal with the crispy BG .
i too hated BG and some other vegetables like beerakai,sorakai and potlakai when i was a kid ,but as i grew up i started liking them. but now my kids hate the same vegetables. believe it or not, my sister used to love kakarakai koora even as a kid!
Lovely platter.I make bittergourd almost the same way.
i should give it a try……….
very nice one and tempting
I am Bitter gourd lover..I Like all the dishes prepared with it…this is a new recipe for me..i will try it this week end…I have a doubt…is it possible to skip jaggery in the above recipe.. please do let me know..
thanks
You could skip jaggery but then it adds more flavor to the bittergourd along with tang.
Hi shailu
Your kakarakaya vepudu is too good. I tasted one more variety where the vegetable is not cooked before frying. Could you share the recipe if you have it?
Thanks
Yum! I love bittergourd!
Sailu I’m a teenager who still hasn’t developed a taste for kakarkaya! I will try preparing it this way next time.
hai sailu gaaru, i dont know ur full name. ur website is really fabulous. i like to go through all ur recipes and have tried many. They tasted really good, thank u. i live in gulf. i like ur website, chala clear ga raastaarandi meeru.
sailu, i like u so much. can u reply me plz? and display ur pic. thank u so muchhhhhh for tasty recipes. i’ll try this recipe tommorrow.
Thank you for you feedback and sweet words, Reshma garu.
sailu ji, i m very much found of bitterguard and u gave us such a simple and yet delicious recipe. thanks a lot.
Hi sailu,
naaku mee receipes chala istam.juz came through ur blog and started trying each and every receipe.thanks a lot for ur posts.me and my husband like BG a lot.i would try this receipe.