Kakarakaya Fry (Karela/ Bitter Gourd Fry)

Kakarakaya Fry is a simple stir fried dish of bitter gourd made in South Indian style. It goes very well with plain rice & ghee or as a side with rasam rice, sambar rice and curd rice. If you are not a rice person serve it with Quinoa khichdi or oats khichdi. I am sharing my Mom’s recipe here, which actually produces a very delicious and good dish.

Kakarakaya is the Telugu name for Bitter gourd, which is Karela in Hindi. As the name says, this veggie tastes bitter and has crunchy seeds & a dense pulp beneath its bright green bumpy skin.

It’s a staple vegetable in Indian Cuisine & is used to make curries, stir fry, stew and crispy chips. A lot of people do not like it because it not only has a strong bitter flavor but also tastes bitter.

But trust me, you can make a really great tasting dish with this recipe. The flavors of garlic, coriander powder, tamarind, dried coconut and jaggery come together to tone down the bitter flavors and taste.

The finished dish is equally delicious, wholesome and nourishing. I also have a dry Bitter Gourd Sabzi here which does not use jaggery or tamarind. The spices used for that recipe are different.

It is very important to use the right combination of spices while cooking with bitter gourd. Including all different kinds of tastes like salt, heat/ spice, tang and little sweetener like jaggery makes this veggie more palatable. When you do this, the bitter flavor & taste tones down naturally.

At home we prefer serving this as a side with Curd rice, plain rice with this Sambar or a dal dish like this Andhra style Tomato Dal. I always feel thick protein-rich dal makes the best combo with this Kakarakaya/ gourd.

Expert Tips

• It is ideal to start with tender and young gourds. Mature karela is actually more bitter and takes longer to cook.
• If you want to eliminate the bitter taste completely mix ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt with the sliced karela and rest for 20 to 30 mins. Later squeeze out the juices by pressing them in between your hands. Use the karela in cooking but add salt with caution.
• You can also do the same with buttermilk. But this method also adds a natural tangy flavor to the dish. I make this sometimes, adding back some of the buttermilk back into the pan as it cooks. This way you can control the amount of bitterness.

More Vegetable Recipes
Bhindi Fry
Cabbage Stir Fry
Mushroom Pepper Fry
Ladies Finger Fry

Photo Guide

How to make Kakarakaya Fry (stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. Scrub the bitter gourd well with a vegetable brush and rinse them under running water. Slice them thin and remove the seeds if desired (always discard if they look red). Set aside. Soak tamarind in hot water as needed. You can also skip tamarind and use 1 to 2 tbsp of sour yogurt.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When the cumin begin to sizzle, add garlic. Fry the garlic for a minute and then add curry leaves, hing & turmeric.

3. Fry them for a minute.

4. Add the sliced bitter gourd. Stir fry for 3 to 4 mins.

5. Sprinkle salt and filter the tamarind water all over. Instead of tamarind you can also use 1 to 2 tbsp yogurt.

6. Mix well. Cover and cook until the bitter gourd turns tender. If you prefer crunchy bitter gourd then fry them without covering stirring often.

7. Add the ground spices – red chili powder, coriander powder & also coconut (dried coconut or shredded unsweetened). Mix and stir fry for 2 to 3 mins.

8. Add jaggery and mix. Stir fry and cook until the jaggery dissolves and moisture evaporates.

9. Adjust salt, jaggery and spices to taste.

Serve kakarakaya fry or bitter gourd fry with plain rice or as a side with rice, dal & rasam.

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

This recipe was first published in October 2016. Updated in October 2026.