|
Never miss another recipe... Sign up for our free monthly newsletter today!
Subscribing will not result in more spam! I guarantee it! NEWSLETTER
• Current Issue• Newsletter Archive • Sign Up Now 
Cook'n with Betty Crocker 
Cook'n with Pillsbury 
Cook'n with a Taste of Home 
Cook'n in Italy 
Cook'n in Mexico |
      |
|
 |
Bitter Melon Stuffed with Mashed Potatoes |
|
Serves: 4 Print this Recipe(Aalu Bharae Karelae) Category: Squashes and Gourds, Vegan Makes 4 to 6 servings Here's another take on bitter melons with potatoes. We often cook them together because the natural sweetness and starchiness of potatoes help to balance the bitterness of the squash. Bitter or not, bitter melons are considered healthful and quite a delicacy, because bitter melons are highly regarded in Ayurvedic medicine. They are believed to help purify the blood and alleviate gout and rheumatism, and to be beneficial to diabetic patients because they contain a plant insulin, which helps lower the blood sugar. Stuffed bitter melons are traditionally deep-fried, but pan-frying them gets them crispy and brown with a lot less oil. Save the scraped skin to make Bitter Melon Skins with Onions and Potatoes (See Vegetables on the Side). 8 to 10 small bitter melons (about 1 1/4 pounds) 4 small russet potatoes or any kind (about 1 pound) 1 to 3 fresh green chili peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds 1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems + 2 tablespoons for garnish 1 teaspoon mangos powder 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 3 to 4 tablespoons mustard oil or vegetable oil 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground fenugreek seeds 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste 1/8 teaspoon ground asafoetida 1. Wash and dry the bitter melons. With a vegetable peeler, lightly scrape off the ridged skin. Leaving about 1/2 inch intact at both ends, make a long, deep lengthwise slit on one side, from the top down, to make a pocket. With a grapefruit or any other spoon, scoop out the white pulp and seeds. (If you'd like to reduce some of the bitterness, sprinkle the cut melons, inside and out, generously with salt. Set aside about 1 hour to marinate and sweat. Then wash out all the salt and wipe each one dry.) 2. Boil the potatoes in water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, let cool, then peel and coarsely mash them. then add green chili peppers, ginger, cilantro, mango powder, and salt, and mix. 3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard and fenugreek seeds; they should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so lower the heat and cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the coriander, red pepper flakes, and asafoetida, transfer to the potatoes, and mix well. 4. Divide the potatoes into the same number of portions as you have bitter melons. Fill each bitter melon pocket with the potatoes. Bring the two cut sides together and tie each bitter melon with clean cotton (kitchen) string to ensure the filling does not fall out during cooking. 5. Place in a nonstick skillet and drizzle the remaining oil over them. Cook, turning as needed, over medium-high heat about 5 minutes and then over medium-low, until they are crispy and brown on all sides, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Cut off the threads or leave them for each guest to unravel. (This is fun when the setting is informal.) Garnish with cilantro and serve. VARIATION: Instead of potatoes, stuff the melons with Punjabi Dry-Cooked Yellow Mung Beans (see Dried Beans, Lentils, and Peas) or Basic Paneer Cheese Scramble (see Paneer Cheese). From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bitter Melon Stuffed with Mashed Potatoes comes from the Cook'n in India collection. Click here to order this CD or download this brand-name recipe set right now! Spicy Potatoes with Onions and Tomatoes Spicy South Indian Potatoes Spicy Smashed Potatoes with Chaat Masala Rajasthani Potatoes with Cashews and Raisins Bengali Hot Potatoes with Dry-Roasted Spices Pomegranate Potatoes Potatoes with Bell Pepper Confetti Russet Potatoes with Fresh Fenugreek Greens Crispy Fork-Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Peanuts Ginger Mashed Potatoes with Yogurt Spicy Potato Balls Tangy Sweet Potatoes Fragrant Baby Turnip Halves Grated Turnips with Turmeric Chopped Turnips with Apples and Green Tomatoes Crispy Taro Root Fingers with Ajwain Seeds Taro Root Rounds with Tomatoes Ginger-Baked Taro Roots with Chaat Masala Tangy Lotus Roots Quick Pan-Cooked Lotus Roots Mashed Fire-Roasted Eggplant Creamy Mashed Eggplant with Peas Mashed Eggplant with Mustard Seeds Easy Mashed Spicy Eggplant and Potatoes Roasted Eggplant with Mustard Oil Lowfat Stir-Fried Chinese Eggplant with Sesame Seeds Indian Eggplant with Garlic and Tamarind Spice-Stuffed Indian Eggplant Potato-Stuffed Oval Eggplant Eggplant with Red Potatoes Sweet and Sour Eggplant with Jaggery Kerala Coconut Eggplant Quick Garlic and Chili Pepper Eggplant Quick Japanese or Chinese Eggplant with Cilantro Spicy Pumpkin Purée Haridwar Pumpkin Purée with Dried Pomegranate Seeds Quick Pumpkin and Carrot Purée Butternut Squash with Fenugreek Seeds Banana Squash with Spicy Lentil Nuggets Roasted Baby Zucchini Rounds Spice-Stuffed Baby Zucchini Baby Yellow Patty Pan Squash with Chopped Tomatoes Spicy Garlic-Flavored Patty Pan Squash Grilled Mashed Zucchini with Onions and Tomatoes Zucchini with Coconut Milk Manju's Stuffed Zucchini Boats Quick Spicy Opo Squash Chayote Squash, Indian-Style Mixed Summer Squashed with Fresh Ginger Simple Pan-Cooked Gherkins Stuffed Indian Round Squash with Spicy Onion and Tomatoes Baked Bitter Melon with Baby Red Potatoes Bitter Melon Stuffed with Mashed Potatoes Bitter Melon Rounds with Coconut Bitter Melon Skins with Onions and Potatoes Fried Cauliflower Florets with Red Chili Flakes Simple Pan-Cooked Cauliflower Cauliflower with Potato Wedges and Peas Cauliflower with Minced Ginger-Lime Pickle Grilled Yogurt-Marinated Cauliflower Spicy Cauliflower Stems Cauliflower Stems with Pomegranate Seeds Green Cabbage with Yellow Mung Beans Stir-Fried Cabbage with Spinach and Red Potatoes Cooked Brussels Sprouts with Ginger and Garlic Punjabi Kohlrabi Kashmiri Kohlrabi Crispy Baked Okra Bits Chopped Okra with Onions Okra with Potatoes and Pear Tomatoes Stuffed Whole Okra with Spices Spicy Broiled Whole Okra Whole Okra with Tomato Sauce Egg-Fried Okra Fingers Rajasthani Batter-Fried Okra Kerala Okra with Sizzling Coconut Oil Chopped Spinach with Red Potatoes Cooked Spinach with Sliced Almonds Braised Beet Greens Dry-Cooked Carrots, Peas and Potatoes Carrots with Fresh Spinach Ribbons Spicy Chopped Carrots with Fresh Coconut Smoked Sugar-Snap Peas Petite Peas and Potatoes Spicy Green Peas with Onion and Ginger Mixed Bell Peppers with Peas Spicy Mushrooms and Bell Peppers Oven-Roasted Bell Peppers, Indian Style Spicy Chopped Tomatoes Fire-Roasted Corn-on-the-Cob Fragrant Spiced Corn Zesty Everyday Green Beans Mixed Green and Yellow Beans with Fresh Pomegranate Seeds Spicy Yard-Long Beans Asparagus with Purple Potatoes Pan-Grilled Asparagus Tips Tangy Asparagus with Onions and Tomatoes Mixed Cauliflower, Carrots, and Green Beans in a Wok North Indian-Style Mixed Cauliflower, Carrots, and Green Beans South Indian-Style Mixed Vegetables Mixed Pumpkin, Squash and Eggplant with Bengali 5-Spices Marinated Mixed Vegetables in Tomato Butter-Cream Sauce Tart Apples with Cooked Onions Tart Apples with Cumin Seeds Spicy Star Fruit Green Mangoes in Coconut Milk Spicy Mashed Fresh Peaches Sweet and Sour Ripe Bananas Spicy Green Plantains Watermelon Whites with Ginger Mashed Potatoes with Peas and Sesame Seed Powder * Vegetables of the Side |
|
|
Affiliate Program | Privacy Policy | Other Resources | Contact Us
© 2008 DVO Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Sales: 1-888-462-6656 |
