Keema Bhare Karelay (Bitter Melon Stuffed With Minced Chicken)
Updated March 25, 2022
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound bitter melon (about 5 medium), peeled
- 3teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1cup mustard oil, ghee or any neutral oil
- 1medium onion, finely chopped
- 1teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
- 1teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic (about 2 cloves)
- 1pound ground chicken
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼teaspoon ground coriander
- ½teaspoon kashmiri red chile powder or other ground red chile
- ¼teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1medium plum tomato, finely chopped
- 3fresh Thai green chiles, stems removed, chopped
- 2 to 3tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon
- Roti or store-bought pita, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
750 calories; 65 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 39 grams monounsaturated fat; 17 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 902 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make a slit along the length of each melon, leaving about an inch intact on the ends. Remove the seeds and discard (see Tip 1). Rub 2 teaspoons of salt evenly on the surfaces and insides of the melons. Set aside for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the stuffing (see Tip 2).
- Step 2
In a medium pot heat ¼ cup mustard oil for 30 seconds. Add onion, ginger and garlic, and cook on medium for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and fragrant.
- Step 3
Add chicken and remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and cook on high, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, and some bits of the minced chicken start to crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Step 4
Lower heat to medium and add cumin, coriander, chile powder and turmeric. Stir and continue cooking for 30 seconds.
- Step 5
Add ¼ cup water and chopped tomato. Cook on high, stirring occasionally until the oil starts to separate, about 5 minutes. Stir in green chiles and lemon juice. Turn off the heat. (The stuffing can be made up to 2 days ahead and brought to room temperature before assembly.)
- Step 6
Squeeze and drain the reserved salted melon. Thoroughly rinse the inside and outside with cold water. Pat dry. (The drier the melon, the easier it will be to fry.)
- Step 7
In a frying pan large enough to comfortably fit the five stuffed melons in a single layer, add the remaining ¾ cup mustard oil and heat for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Step 8
Gently place the melons into the pan and shallow fry on medium until the bottom and sides are deep golden brown, but mostly brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Step 9
Place the melons on a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any excess oil. Remove the paper towel. Using a teaspoon, stuff the melons with the stuffing. Serve with the rest of the prepared stuffing and roti, store-bought pita or by itself.
- Use a potato peeler in both directions to roughly peel each bitter melon. To core the bitter melon, wedge your thumbnail between the inside lining and seed sacs, and peel like wallpaper.
- The peeled and cored bitter melon should be salted for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to overnight; the longer the bitter melon is salted, the milder its flavor.
Private Notes
Comments
Peeling the bitter gourd is not necessary, but some prefer it because most of the bitterness is in the peel, particularly the tips of the bumps. So you can either not peel it at all (which is what our family prefers as we enjoy the bitterness) or partially peel it taking away only the tips of the bumps, or fully peel it, which will much reduce the bitterness. For this recipe, you also don't need to stuff the bitter gourd; you can simply slice them up and add them to step 3. Delicious!
I grew up eating this, except that my mother used ground beef, not chicken. Judith asked about when to fry the melons, and the writer dies the same as my mother did: after peeling, depending, salting, rinsing, and before filling. My mother did an additional step after filling though: she wrapped each one with thread to hold the stuffing in & cooked them nestled in the remaining stuffing, covered, for an additional 10-15 min over low heat.
The recipe states that the “stuffed” melons should be fried, then mentions toward the end that they should be stuffed with the chicken mixture after the melons are fried. Which directive is correct? Which comes first .... the chicken or the frying (don’t mean to be too cute).
Peeling the bitter gourd is not necessary, but some prefer it because most of the bitterness is in the peel, particularly the tips of the bumps. So you can either not peel it at all (which is what our family prefers as we enjoy the bitterness) or partially peel it taking away only the tips of the bumps, or fully peel it, which will much reduce the bitterness. For this recipe, you also don't need to stuff the bitter gourd; you can simply slice them up and add them to step 3. Delicious!
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