"Karathe' Kachri/ Bitter Gourd (Karela) Fries/ Wafers/ Chips" ... Kachri's are deep fried crisp snacks that can be prepared ahead and stored for a few weeks time and relished as and when desired ... here is a simple way of preparing crisp fried karathe' kachri/ bitter gourds fries that can be savored as snacks, served as side dish for lunch or as starters too ... You can also easily take them while travelling too ... Yummilicious .....
** Karathe’ kachri/wafers/chips ie Bitter Gourd Fries are a delight to munch on and when served along with lunch it is simply fantastic to mix with rice and dal or saar and relish the same. Kachri actually means that which is fried crisp to wafers/chips texture. These unlike bajias are crispier and remain good for a few weeks if stored well. In my home we make a lot of Karathe’ dishes be it in curry form or bhaji, but kachri/fries are prepared less frequently, as once they are deep fried the oil somehow turns slightly bitter and it has to be disposed of immediately. Off course oil should not be heated for deep frying many times over, but I do use it around three times and after that I usually fry these karela fries and then discard the oil. The best thing about these fries are they can be stored well for a week or two without it getting spoilt, that is if it remains, which is not so in my home. You can also take them if you need to travel for a few days and can relish the same during your journey, specially if you are travelling by train. Well, nothing much to say about these healthy bitter gourds that I am sure all of you know about, so I am sharing the recipe for frying these crispies straight away. I am also including a link to all Karathe’/Bitter Gourd/Karela recipes in my Blog at the bottom of this recipe. Do try them out and enjoy with your family and friends. Please do try these out in your home instead of purchasing them from stores, it is very easy to prepare and once you get the right texture method, it really is a breeze work.
** Here is my simple recipe for "Karathe' Kachri/ Bitter Gourd (Karela) Fries/ Wafers/ Chips" … My Style …
** Wash and wipe dry about 3-4 thick large sized Karathe'/Bitter Gourds and wipe them dry with a thick towel. You can use the light green one’s available in the market as they are less bitter than the dark colored bitter gourds. Now slice off the edges and discard them and then slice them into thin 1/8 inch sized rings. The sliced rings here should be thin unlike that which we do so for bajos. The thinner the rings the crispier they turn out. But remember they should be evenly sliced for the karathe to get fried properly or else some will turn crisp while some may not or may even burn. The best way to slice them is to use the potato slicer, as they given even cuts. I have used the slicer here, do try this method, I am sure you will find it easier.
** Note : Many people sometimes apply salt to the karathe’ pieces and keep them aside for some time so that the water leaves and the bitterness goes away, I do not follow this method as the sole purpose of having karathe’ gets lost in doing so. Try to develop the taste of bitter gourds as it is and then you will not have any issues whatsoever.
** Spices to be added : Put the sliced karathe’/bitter gourds/karela in a wide bowl. Add in 2-3 tblsp of Besan (Bengal gram) flour, 1 tblsp of Rice flour, 1 tblsp of Corn flour (optional), 1 tblsp of makkai ka atta (maize flour),2-3 tblsp of kashmiri mirchi powder (Chilly Powder), ½ - 1 tsp of Hing powder (asafoetida depending upon its aroma), salt to taste and mix well. Add in 1 tblsp of hot oil and once again mix well. Now keep sprinkling some water while you keep mixing all the ingredients well, till you get an evenly applied mixture on karathe’ slices. Cover with a tight lid and keep this aside for 10-15 minutes till the oil for deep frying gets heated.
** Note : Do not add water in one go or else you may end up adding more than necessary. With practice you will learn the method well. The spices should evenly just coat the slices in thin film for crisp textured crispies or else they will turn softer on resting.
** Frying : Heat plenty of oil in a thick bottomed kadai. You can use the leftover oil after frying poori or other bajias here as once you deep fry the bitter gourd, the oil turns bitter and colored and if anything else is deep fried later the aroma transfers to the same. When the oil is hot enough, check by adding in a small piece of the spiced bitter gourd into the oil. If it sizzles and comes over it means the temperature is ok, if it settles down for a few seconds, that means the oil needs to be a little bit more hot and if it straight away blacken that means the oil is too hot. Now check the karathe’ slices spiced and kept aside, if they have left water, sprinkle some besan on top and toss well. Add in enough into the oil leaving some space for the karathe’ to get evenly fried and fry on medium heat till crisp and done.
** Remove the fried Karathe’/Bitter gourds with a ringed spatula and place them on a absorbent paper for excess oil to be drained. Continue with remaining batch of the Karathe’/Bitter gourd slices until all are fried and done. Allow them to cool to room temperature, then put them in a air tight container and store them and use as and when required. These remain good for about 2 weeks, though personally I prefer them to be emptied in a weeks time. Remember to keep the heat at constant temperature throughout the frying process or else the final result will not turn out good. Once you learn the right way, it really is a breeze work and can be done ahead and kept if you have any guest coming over or you are time bound.
** "Karathe' Kachri/ Bitter Gourd (Karela) Fries/ Wafers/ Chips" is done and ready to served or relished as and when required. They taste awesome when served along with Dalitoy-Rice along with some other dishes too. We GSB konkani always serve them during lunch time. These crispies as I mentioned remain good for over a week, so it gives you a lot of time ahead for preparing the same if you have parties at home. They are not so bitter as goes the name, so make your children eat them in all forms be it as fries or in curry as they are very good for health. When habits are formed at young age children adapt very well to them and will reap in the benefits all through life. So do add in this veggie in your diet.
** Sharing a common link for “Karathe/Karate'/Bitter Gourd/Karela” below, you can find many bitter gourd recipes there, do try and include them into your diet ….
** An Earnest Request : There are many more recipes of different types in the blog. For all my Recipes, use the search option or the label section in the Blog. If you are still not able to find it or have a query, please leave a message in comment section or mail me the same. I will try my best to get back to you as soon as possible. Do try out various types of dishes included in the Blog and Enjoy them with your family and friends and do give me a feedback if possible.
** I am happy to inform you that I have also started a food group for by the name "KONKANI DELICACIES" which is over and year old, with about 22 K strong members. It is a pleasure to inform that you will find in the group many more recipes posted by our expert members and you too can share some of your own. The link to the group is posted on the left side of the blog page. Do join us in our culinary journey. I strongly believe in Sharing and always endorse that "Sharing Is Caring" Thank You.
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