Microwaved Karela (Bitter gourd) Podies (Masala Crispies) With Chilled Pineapple Juice ......
I simply love fried food. That crunchy bites especially when the winter creeps in is dreamilicious. But then like all of you, I too get worried when i go overboard on frying sprees. That constant thought of unhealthiness keeps creeping in the mind and gives nightmares. Today the world is getting health conscious. But then the tongue does not obey. It has its own weakness. So to avoid the tension of mind and give the tongue its due happiness I have started using microwave method wherever possible to avoid that nagging feeling of betrayals with oil.
I have successfully made karela Cripies many times in microwave, however this is the first time i attempted in making podies / masala karela in microwave and they turned out really crispy and tasted great ..... absolutely no difference from the deep fried one's except maybe they were not at all oily. Yes, it did take longer time than it took for me to make the crispies ...... but anything for a healthy option ..... Do try this out, you will be happy with the results also you can munch on them without any guilt.
Cut 3-4 large sized Karela / karathe / bitter gourd (About 300 gms) into 1/8 inch thick slices along with the inner seeds. Wash, rinse and allow to drain properly. You can buy any karela you like, however I prefer the light green one's available in Mumbai, as they are tender and less bitter in taste. Also they are large and thick in variety giving you perfect thick round rings.
Put the prepared karela pieces in a large flat bowl. Add in salt as per taste. 2 tblsp of besan (gram flour), 1 tsp of red chilli powder, ¼ tsp of hing powder (Optional) and mix well. Do not add water. Now add 2-3 tsp of any refined oil and mix well. Leave aside for 10 minutes and mix well again. (You can add any masala powder as per your taste).
Put the prepared masala karelas in a microwave shallow glass plate and spread well. Microwave on high till crispy and done at 5 minutes intervals each time. At every five minutes when the oven stops, mix well before you start again. You can sprinkle some oil in between if necessary or if you prefer to cook it faster. I did not add any oil in between. It took me a good 38 minutes. But then the timings differ from each oven. So once you cross 30 minutes run the machine at the interval of lesser timmings to ensure that you do not burn it.
Crispy spicy masala karelas are ready to be served. You can serve them at lunch time or as a snack or just to munch on.
** For the Pineapple Juice Recipe, Please follow the link given below ......
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Thanks.