Karela like you’ve never had before—crispy, flavorful, and absolutely lip-smacking, this Karela Pakoda is 10/10!
This recipe for Karela Pakoda, inspired by Mrs. YumTum’s Crispy Karela, is a delightful way to turn bitter gourd into a snack that’s irresistibly crispy and flavorful. By prepping the karela with a salt and lemon water soak and coating it in a spiced slurry, this dish removes the bitterness and elevates karela into a crowd-pleasing treat.
Shallow fried to golden perfection, these karela or bitter gourd fritters are light, crunchy, and perfect as a tea-time snack or a side dish. Pair them with a garlicky yogurt dip or ketchup for an extra burst of flavor!
Jump to section: Karela Pakoda
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Here’s what makes this recipe special:
- Bitterness-Free: The salt and lemon water soak removes the karela’s bitterness, making it more palatable.
- Crispy Perfection: A spiced slurry creates a crunchy outer layer without needing deep frying.
- Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and a shallow frying method make this recipe accessible for everyone.
Karela Pakoda Ingredients Overview
This Karela Pakoda recipe comes together with a few simple pantry staples. The star ingredient, karela, is prepped by soaking it in salt and lemon water to reduce its bitterness. A batter made from a mix of gram flour, rice flour, and cornflour ensures a light, crispy coating. Spices like turmeric, red chilli powder, and optional sesame seeds add flavor and texture, while a bit of oil is all you need for shallow frying these fritters to golden, crunchy perfection.
How To Make Karela Less Bitter
Soaking karela in a salt and lemon water helps draw out bitter compounds from the karela through osmosis, while the lemon’s acidity breaks down its tough fibers, softening the texture and reducing bitterness. Together, they make karela milder and more flavorful, ready for cooking or frying!
Richa’s Top Tips
- Consistent Slurry: The batter should be semi-thick to coat the karela evenly without dripping.
- Shallow Fry on Low Flame: Cooking on low heat ensures the fritters crisp up beautifully without burning.
- Add Sesame Seeds: Optional but recommended for a nutty flavor and added crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, this recipe is best shallow or deep fried because anything with a loose batter like fritters don’t turn out well when air fried.
Yes! Deep frying works beautifully and makes the pakodas even crispier.
Store leftover pakodas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan or oven or even an air fryer to bring back some of their crispiness.
If you’ve never loved karela before, this recipe could be the one to win you over. These Karela pakodas are all about crunch, flavor, and fun—perfect for sharing or just enjoying on your own.Don’t forget to share your karela creations on IG @my_foodstory—we’d love to see how you make this recipe your own!
Watch How to Make Karela Pakoda
Prevent your screen from going dark
-
Keep the stem and two ends of mini karelas intact & make deep, long cuts on them which should be 1 cm apart. Chop off one of the ends & de-seed, if any.
4 mini karelas
-
Mix all ingredients for soaking and dip karelas in this for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the karelas and set aside. Place them on a chopping board & spread fan-like.
Juice of 2 lemons, 4 tablespoons water, ¾ teaspoons salt
-
Take all ingredients of the batter in a wide bowl & mix well to make a semi thick slurry.
¼ cup besan, ¼ cup rice flour, ¼ cup corn flour or tapioca flour, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, ½ teaspoon salt, Approx. 1 cup water
-
Dip karelas in the slurry to make sure it is well coated from all sides.
-
Heat a flat pan with about ½ inch of oil until it’s medium hot. Place the dipped karelas while ensuring they are spread out fan-like.
Cooking oil for frying
-
Shallow fry on low flame till they are light golden for approx. 3 minutes.
-
Fry on high for a few seconds till they are crispy & serve.
- This recipe is most suitable for mini karelas but may be replaced with regular karelas, cut into half & then follow the instructions.
- Follow the exact instructions for cutting karelas, to get the best taste.
- Spreading the batter coated karelas fan-like ensures they get evenly fried.
- Any cooking oil may be used for frying karelas such as sunflower oil or groundnut oil.
Calories: 112kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Sodium: 741mg, Potassium: 376mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 516IU, Vitamin C: 78mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 1mg
This article was researched and written by Harita Odedra.
