Karalay (Stuffed Indian Bitter-melon)

Servings: 8-10 people

Ingredients:

Bitter-melon marination:

• 11 medium sized bitter-melons
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon turmeric

Bitter-melon stuffing:

• 7 medium onions (cut into small thin pieces)
• 2 lbs. ground chicken (or ground veal, beef, turkey)
• 3 tablespoons chapli kebab masala
• 2 tablespoons dry methi
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon tandoori chicken masala
• 2-3 tomatoes (cut into small pieces)
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground garlic
• 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped

onions cut into sllices

Directions:

Peel the karalay (do not throw away the peels, leave it in the bowl with the karalays).
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of salt along with the turmeric on the karalay's and peels and rub them. This will make all the bitterness will go away.

Then wash the karalays and the peels 4-5 times. Squeeze out all the water from the peels and put in a separate bowl.

Cut 1/2 inch off of each karalay on one side, and take out the seeds with a butter knife. Throw away the seeds, and wash the karalay again. Squeeze out the water, and put them aside.

Place the meat in a steel bowl and put in all the ingredients listed above for the stuffing. Mix with hands.

Fill all the bitter-melons (karalay's) with the stuffing (approximately 1/3 of the meat will be used here).

Note: If the karalay rip apart while you were taking out the seeds...then after stuffing them, bind the karalay with a white thread. And when you are serving, gently remove the thread, everything will be intact.

Pour some cooking oil into a frying pan and place the karalays in the pan, cook them on low medium heat. Keep turning them until they become golden brown from the outside. It will take approximately 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat.

Put the peels in a non-sticking pan with 1/4 cup oil, and fry the peels on medium-low heat, until they become golden brown.

peels are cooking

the peels with 1/4 cup oil

Then add in the rest of the meat, and mix gently, 2-3 times and cover the pan with its lid.

After 6 minutes, take off the lid, and you will see all the water has come out of the meat. Let it dry (will take 10-15 minutes to dry the water). Then add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon red chili powder, and mix gently.

you can also add one of the chopped tomatoes here

Turn the heat on low, and place the fried karalay on top, and cover the pan with its lid for 5-6 minutes. Take off the lid and its ready to serve.
Note: if you want your karalay to stay crispy, then don't cover the pan in the last step.