Whenever I go through my old posts, especially the ones I posted when I just started blogging, I think to myself, “Oh, I should I have provided more information” or “the picture is so bad” or gosh, “what was I thinking when I wrote this” etc. Not that I am an expert or that I write any better but some things just stand out and makes me want to re-write those posts again.
Incidentally Jaya of Desi Soccer Mom came up with a great event idea for re-posting and so I am posting this recipe for Bitter gourd Crisps which I feel needs some major re-writing. My original post for this is here.
This recipe has been our family favorite for years. This is prepared in the microwave. It is one of those recipes that requires less effort but has a surprisingly wonderful taste; more like the deep fried Bitter Gourd Chips. Whenever I have prepared it for my friends they have enjoyed and relished it.
Both DH and I love bitter gourd and luckily we get good bitter gourd/Karela all year round at our Indian grocery store. We make these crispy bittergourd rings at least once a fortnight. They are easy to make, do not require baby sitting and are healthy, low-fat too. Done the right way, they taste pretty much like Bitter Gourd Chips. They form a good side tem with simple Daal-Chaawal or with Khichidi and yogurt.
Taste: When you first take a bite, you get that crisp taste that lingers in your mouth and toward the end there is a bitter taste along with oil, salty and spicy taste. Let me assure you though that the bitterness is masked and not at all dominant.
Off this goes to Jaya’s re-post event at Desi Soccer Mom.
Ingredients
- 1 big Bitter gourd /bitter melon/hagalkayi(Kannada)
- Oil, salt
- Turmeric
- Red chilli powder (optional)
Method:
- Clean the bitter gourd thoroughly, peel the ridges and cut it into thin circular disks (about 1/8 inch).In fact, thinner the better to get a crisp taste.
- Take a bowl, put 2 tsp of oil, salt, turmeric, and red chilli powder and mix well. Toss in the chopped disks and mix so that each disk gets a proper coating.
- Take a microwavable glass plate and place the coated bitter gourd disks each in its place. Do not stack or overlap the disks.
- Place this in the microwave for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, pull out the plate and move around the disks, just to make sure that they don’t stick to the plate.
- Microwave for 2 more minutes again and pull it out. Spread about 2 more tsp of oil and turn them around.
Continue to microwave for few more minutes and check if they have crisped. [This depends on the power of the microwave, but ours takes about 12 minutes]. - Repeat the process until they all become crisp.
- This can be eaten as snack or accompaniment with Rice-Daal, Pongal, Upma, Poha etc.
Supriya thank you for a bitter gaud (sweet) entry. When I first started reading I thought this was either deep fried or shallow fried. Not for a moment was I expecting it to be cooked in the microwave. I haven’t had bitter gourd in years but this is on my list for the next trip to the Indian store.
Wow.. Microwaved Karela crips–Sounds easy and delicious. Must try soon.
I don’t think I’ve ever had gourd before but I’ve been seeing a few recipes with it. Must be good! I can’t wait to try it.
I love Karela in any form, this microwave version sounds interesting.
In the MC! WOW! I love bitter gourds, can’t say the same with other members of the family tho:-) I am making bitter gourd today! This is a real easy recipe & will pair really well with dal and plain rice.
looks cruncy..microwaving is very clever way to cook them.
Lovely recipe. I usually do not use my microwave for cooking. Just used them to reheat although I have seen numerous recipes on the blogosphere. My daughter loves bittergourd and I am going to try it for her.
RC, I can’t believe it’s MW version karela! Looks so crispy and perfect. I haven’t had this since ages..thanks for reminder. I almost forgot this vegetable.
Oh really even I kinda feel very bad for my old posts splly with pics
the karela looks lovely I wanted to go grocery shopping and get some but some how snow stopped me 
Hi Supriya!
I love Karela. This is a novel way of cooking them. Will try some time soon. As always I love to drool over the pics.
hmmm..we r also karela lovers…I do this very often atleast once a week…you know wat I do it in the oven the same way u told in microwave..
they really turn out crispy like chips…
I already made chips in MW, so I believe it is quiet tasty and crunchy this BG!
I just posted a bitter gourd recipe – one of our favourites too
The microwave recipe if a great idea to preserve the taste without too much oil!
Looks very crunchy!! never knew bitter gourd could look so delicious!
This is just so good…less oil and lovely colour too, yet crunchy.
Sups, that’s just what I wanted. I have bittergourds lying in my pantry for I-dont-know-how-long. If they are still good, i’m going to make this over weekend.
Have a nice weekend!
This is one veg we kids hated and only time we loved it was when mom made like this.
My SIL was making these with sprinkle of rice flour to make them crispy when I was in Bangalore last year. Looks great RC, Haagalkayi supposed to help Diabetes as they believe at my parents along with western medicine.
I am ready for anything with bitter gourd. MW you say, nothing can be easier than that.
this is perfect with anna saaru
Thanks RC for sharing such a wonderful looking
Karela fry. Nice alternative to deep frying.
I do that for almost all my old posts too
The bitter gourd crisps look yum and I love that you made it in the microwave…
Neat idea to microwave them….will try it next time….we all love krelas in my house…
We eat a lot of Bitter Gourd crisps too, call it Uchche Bhaja. Didn’t know the MW one. Thanks for the idea
I have never had a liking for karela..maybe its the way Ive been cooking them..also not used to it since childhood.
But hagalkai crisps in MW??? awesome idea..will bring hagalkai on my next subzi mandi trip.
found your site on del.icio.us today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later
Wow this is a great resource.. I’m enjoying it.. good article
[...] along with the crunchy taste of bitter gourd pieces. While making this it also reminds me of the Bitter Gourd Chips that do not have any bitter taste in [...]
Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends!
I made these yday and omg…they came out soooo good. Ive never liked Hagalkai but this recipe turned my liking for it.
Very simple to make too..just my type. Thanks for the recipe RC. Will be making this more often.
Thanks Lakshmi. So glad you liked them.
[...] usually make either Karate Kismuri/ BitterGourd Onion Coconut Mix or Bitter Gourd Crisps/ Bittergourd Rings (Microwave) with bitter melons at home. Both are quick, easy and make wonderful side dishes with their [...]
Hi, came over from Jayaspace. Lovely site you have here. And am forever on the lookout for simple recipes and tried out two of the microwave ones and put them up on my blog. Have given a link too.