This bitter gourd recipe is a unique vegetable salad you have to try.
Crispy fried bitter melon tossed with onions and tomatoes, with a dash of chilli flakes and lime juice, gives this fried bitter gourd its taste.

Bitter gourd is also known as bitter melon, bitter squash, balsam pear, karela and goya.
Many home cooks or someone learning to cook are reluctant to prepare bitter gourd because of the vegetable’s bitterness.
But you can actually get rid of the bitterness and make a Sri Lankan vegan/vegetarian dish that complements your rice and curry bowl by providing a perfect balance of crunch. 

A bitter vegetable that is good for you.

It’s one of the most bitter vegetables and unless you know how to prepare the bitter gourd by removing the bitterness of the vegetable, you will not be able to take a single bite(even a micro bite, no amount of milk or sweet is going to get that taste off your tongue!).
But despite having a god-awful bitter taste(I kid you not), this vegetable is packed with several key nutrients and is a superfood you have to add to your meals.

What to serve with fried bitter gourd salad.

• Rice recipes to pair with the fried salad.
  • Regular white rice.
  • Sri Lankan yellow rice.
  • Ghee rice.

• Vegetarian side dishes to serve with the salad.
  • Pumpkin Curry(Sri Lankan, vegetarian)
  • Jackfruit curry(Sri Lankan polos curry).
  • Sri Lankan Potato curry(ala kiri hodi).
  • Sri Lankan dhal curry(parippu,dal,daal).
• Meat curries to pair with the karawila sambol.
  • beef fry(Sri Lankan)
  • bistek(Sri Lankan bisteak)
  • Sri Lankan chicken curry.
  • Sri Lankan red chilli fish curry(Thalapath malu mirisata).

Tips & questions for bitter gourd salad.

• Tips.
  • When buying bitter gourd, make sure you buy a vegetable that is green in colour, the colour that you might refer to as “not mature or ripe enough to cook”.
  • Avoid bitter gourd that has any yellow or orange tinge. It should be firm to the touch and not have any blemishes.
  • Storage life can be extended to almost a week if you refrigerate, but I would recommend preparing it within 3 days.
  • Follow the recipe instructions below and soak the sliced bitter gourd as per the given timing.
  • The bitter gourd is de-seeded as it is the mid-region that contains the most bitter seeds.
    It can be done as described below or a much easier way is to slit it in half and scoop out the mid-region.
  • This way, you’ll end up getting semi-circles once it is sliced. I opted for the latter because the dish looks more presentable.
  • Salt and lime juice are the two best basic ingredients that make this bitter gourd salad tasty. Use them wisely, and even the kids will give the bitter gourd salad a try.
  • Frying the bitter gourd slices in the correct oil temperature and not over-frying them on high heat until they turn dark in colour is a key step in this recipe, so please pay attention to the frying process.
• Questions.
  • Where to buy bitter gourd(karawila).
    • You can find the vegetable in most Asian, Indian and Sri Lankan stores.
    • Here in Sri Lanka, if you drop by your nearest supermarket, you’ll find all of the required ingredients for this recipe packed in a manner where you are required to only assemble it.

What you will need in the kitchen.

Chopping board and knife.
A large bowl or plate to mix the ingredients.
Frying pan and slotted spoons.
Kitchen paper towels.
Serving platter and spoon.

More vegetarian Sri Lankan salads.

• Sri Lankan gotukola(pennywort)salad.
• Fried eggplant/brinjal salad
• Green mung dhal-coconut salad.
• Spicy tomatoes, onions and green chilli salad.

Storage, freezing and reheating guide.

Storage.
Avoid storing fried bitter gourd(karawila); it’s best consumed on the same day.
Reheat.
Avoid reheating.
Freezing.
Avoid freezing.
Stop food waste.
The bitter gourd salad is best when prepared and consumed on the same day. Try to make the salad as per your family’s need, which means not in large quantity unless you are sure to have a few bitter gourd lovers in the family to finish it up.

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-LITTLE CARE IS NEEDED

Ingredients to make the bitter gourd recipe.

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

• Medium-sized green bitter gourds.
• Water as needed.
• Turmeric powder.
• oil to fry.
• Medium sliced onion, sliced fine.
• A medium-sized tomato sliced.
• Green chilli sliced fine into thin rings.
• Red chilli flakes
• Lime juice
• Salt to taste 

Step-by-step photo tutorial.

How to make bitter gourd fry(karawila sambol).

Assemble all the ingredients needed to make the fried karawila sambol.

Slice the bitter gourds into circles of about 5cm in thickness.

Gently insert your thumb through the centre of the rings to remove the seeds.

Immerse them in a bowl filled with water and salt and let them rest for 30-45 minutes.

While the slices are soaking, have all the other ingredients needed for the salad ready by slicing the onions, tomatoes and green chillies.
30-45 minutes later, drain the water from the bitter melon slices.
Gently squeeze and remove any excess water, and place them in a bowl.

Mix the bitter gourd slices with salt(just enough to season)and turmeric powder(a pinch).

How to fry the bitter gourd.

Have a plate or platter with kitchen paper towels ready to hold the fried bitter gourd slices.
Pour the oil into a deep frying pan and heat the oil.
It’s important to maintain a level of heat that will fry the bitter gourd evenly and not too quickly.
Please make sure the rings are well drained prior to frying to avoid oil splatters.
Fry the slices until the inner ring of the bitter gourd turns golden brown and the outer ridged part of the slices still has a very slight tinge of green(probably between 7-10 minutes).
As they fry, move them about with a flat frying spoon and avoid frying the slices to a dark brown as this will, in turn, make them bitter again.
Transfer the fried slice to the paper towels to remove any excess oil.
Add all the ingredients into a large bowl or platter, including the chilli flakes, combine and then season with salt and lime.
Make sure to taste and add more lime juice(gradually) to balance the taste of the salad.

Serve with any of the rice and side dishes mentioned above.

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Bitter gourd fry(Sri Lankan karawila sambol)

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This bitter gourd(bitter melon)recipe is one of a kind unique vegetable salad you have to try.

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Ingredients

Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

• 2  medium-sized green bitter gourds (approximately 250-300g)
• Water as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• oil to fry the bitter gourd slices(about 1 and 1/2 cup)
• 1 medium-sized onion sliced finely(large if you prefer more onions)
• 1 medium-sized tomato sliced 
• 1-2 Green chilli sliced fine into thin rings
• 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli flakes
• 1 lime 
• Salt to taste 

Instructions

1. Assemble all the ingredients needed to make the fried sambol.
2. Slice the bitter gourds (250g -300g) into circles of about 5cm in thickness.
3. Gently insert your thumb through the center of the rings to remove the seeds.
4. Immerse them in a bowl filled with water and salt(1 teaspoon)and let it rest for 30-45 minutes.
5. While the slices soak, have all the other ingredients needed for the salad ready by slicing the onions (1 medium-sized), tomatoes (1 medium-sized) and green chilli (1-2). 
6. 30-45 minutes later, drain the water from the bitter melon slices, gently squeeze and remove out any excess water place them in a bowl.
7. Mix the bitter gourd slices with salt(1/4 tsp, just enough to season)and turmeric(a pinch).

HOW TO FRY THE BITTER GOURD.

1. Have a plate or platter with kitchen paper towels ready to hold the fried bitter melon slices.
2. Pour the oil into a deep frying pan and heat the oil.
3. It’s important to maintain a level of heat that will fry the bitter gourd evenly and not too quickly. Please make sure the rings are well drained prior to frying and to avoid oil splatters.
4. Fry the slices until the inner ring of the bitter gourd turns golden brown and the outer ridged part of the slices still have a very slight tinge of green(probably between 7-10 minutes).
5. As they fry move them about with a flat frying spoon and avoid frying the slice to a dark brown as this will, in turn, make them bitter again.
6. Transfer the fried slice to the paper towels to remove any excess oil.
7. Add all the ingredients into large bowl or platter, include the chilli flakes, combine and then season with salt and lime.
8. Make sure to taste and add more lime juice(gradually) to balance the taste of the salad.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 159Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 218mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

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