Keema stuffed keralas

Name: Keema stuffed keralas
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 4-6 bitter melons/gourds/keralas; 1/2 cup oil; 1/2 kg ground beef; 1 onion, sliced; 1 onion, diced; 1 tbsp. ginger paste; 1 tbsp. garlic paste; 4 tomatoes, quartered; To taste, salt; To taste, chilli powder; 1/4 tsp. turmeric; 1 tsp. coriander powder; 1 tsp. cumin seeds; To taste, pepper powder; 1/4 cup yogurt; As required, water; 1/4 cup oil; As required, cilantro, chopped; 3 green chillies

Sarvat Hanif @sarvathanif

Canada

One of my favourite vegetables is keralas known as Indian bitter gourds. I love keralas especially these stuffed ones and those cooked in ground beef. Keema Stuffed Keralas (we call it keema bharay kerala) is a traditional Punjabi dish and is always served with chappati or roti.

People do not like this vegetable due to its bitterness. There are quite a couple of tricks to do away with the bitterness. Majority of the tips, which all follow is using salt. Once the bitter gourds have been cleaned and scraped, salt is applied. A lot of salt. The vegetable is then placed in a colander and left for at least 2 hours if not more. Finally, the vegetable is given a good washing a number of times under running water to get rid of the salt.

The method that I used this time is different. The salting method is old school.

With a vegetable peeler, I peeled the scaly skin, deseeded and washed the keralas, place them in a colander.

After filling them with the cooked ground beef secure the openings with toothpicks…about 2-3 per kerala. Then shallow fried them with onion slices. To eliminate the bitterness, dilute the yogurt with some water to get a running consistency like that of a lassi and pour it over the keralas. Cover and cook till tender and liquid has evaporated.
Trust me, this method for getting rid off the bitterness saves a lot time.

The method that I used this time is different. The salting method is old school.

With a vegetable peeler, I peeled the scaly skin, deseeded and washed the keralas, place them in a colander.

Sarvat Hanif @sarvathanif

Canada

The method that I used this time is different. The salting method is old school.

With a vegetable peeler, I peeled the scaly skin, deseeded and washed the keralas, place them in a colander.

The method that I used this time is different. The salting method is old school.

With a vegetable peeler, I peeled the scaly skin, deseeded and washed the keralas, place them in a colander.

Saved

Ingredients

4-6bitter melons/gourds/keralas
1/2 cupoil
1/2 kgground beef
1onion, sliced
1onion, diced
1 tbsp.ginger paste
1 tbsp.garlic paste
4tomatoes, quartered
To taste, salt
To taste, chilli powder
1/4 tsp.turmeric
1 tsp.coriander powder
1 tsp.cumin seeds
To taste, pepper powder
1/4 cupyogurt
As required, water
1/4 cupoil
As required, cilantro, chopped
3green chillies

Saved

Steps

1

Scrap the keralas (Indian bitter gourds). Slit the bitter gourds in half and carefully removes the seeds.
2

Wash the keralas and place in a colander.
3

In a dutch oven heat ½ cup oil and add the cumin seeds. Allow to crackle.
4

Add the diced onion and saute till light brown.
5

Add the ground meat and cook, breaking with the spoon, till colour changes.
6

Add the spices and mix well.
7

Place the tomatoes over the ground meat, add water, cover and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.
8

Remove the cover, and peel off the tomatoes skin
9

Increase the flame and cook, mashing the tomatoes, till liquid has dried and the ground meat is cooked.
10

Cool the ground meat slightly and carefully fill the bitter gourds. Secure the bitter gourds with toothpicks and set aside.
11

Heat a pan with remaining oil and carefully place the keralas in the pan and shallow fry, carefully shaking the pan to rotate the keralas.
12

Add sliced onion over the keralas; Cover and cook till one side is cooked.
13

Dilute the yogurt with some water and pour over the keralas. Cover and cook till keralas are cooked and liquid has evaporated.
14

Carefully transfer the keralas to the ground beef, covering them with the ground meat.
15

Add cilantro and green chillies, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or till keralas are tender.
16

Serve with roti or paratha.