Lunch Menu 3 | Karela Sabzi, Gujarati Dal, Phulka Roti

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So here is a quick and simple lunch option – karela sabzi, gujarati dal and phulka roti

There are a lot of health benefits of eating karela (bitter gourd) and so it’s important to include this vegetable in our diet. This karela sabzi is very simple and quick to make, plus we have shared few tips and suggestions which will help reduce the bitter taste. If you are a fan of karela (bitter gourd), then do try Kaju Karela Sabzi Recipe. Kaju Karela – as the same suggests, is a sabzi or dry vegetable prepared from Bitter Gourd (Karela) and Cashews (Kaju).

So let’s begin preparing for this healthy and simple lunch menu

Pre-Preparation

Soak tuvar dal and kokum separately for about 25-30 minutes.

Prepare dough for phulka roti

Peel and cut karela (bitter gourd) in slices. Soak in salt water.

Tips for quick cooking

For gujarati dal, we have used stored tomato puree and curry leaves that reduce cooking time. Do have a look at our tips on how to preserve & store tomato puree without preservatives

For storing curry leaves, you may check our this article on How To Preserve And Store Curry Leaves/Kadi Patta

Add oil and ghee to phulka dough for soft phulkas.

Recipes

Karela Sabzi

For karela sabzi, scrape the skin of 2 big karela/bitter gourd and cut them in slices.

Now soak them in a bowl of salt water for 25-30 minutes. Rub the slices to get rid of big seeds. Remove and wash them thoroughly. Drain all the excess water.

In a pressure cooker, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds, dry red chilli, green chilli, asafoetida (hing) and karela slices.

Mix and let it saute for 4-5 minutes. Then add salt and turmeric powder, mix and add about 1/4 cup water. Now cover and pressure cook on high flame for 1 whistle. Reduce the flame and let it cook for 6-7 minutes or till karela is cooked completely.

Once pressure releases, add 1 tablespoon jaggery (adjust to taste) and ½ teaspoon coriander powder/dhania powder + ½ teaspoon jeera/cumin powder. Mix. Check and adjust salt level.

Karela Sabzi is ready.

If you want a different version of karela (bitter gourd), try Kaju Karela Sabzi Recipe

Gujarati Dal

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