Bharwan Karele (Stuffed bittergourd)

I just love karele in all forms. This one is a very tasty recipe taught to me by Mrs Shrivastava, my colleague's wife who is an amazing cook.  Use of methi dana and onion reduces the bitterness and imparts a unique sweet flavour to karele. Well try it and let me know how it turned out in your kitchen.
You need:
Chhote Karele (small/medium sized bittergourd) : 8-10
Chhote pyaz (Small onion) : 5-6
Tel (Cooking Oil): 3 tbspn
Rai (mustard seeds): 1 tspn


Baravan masala (stuffing)
Pyaz (onion): 1 large
lahsun (garlic cloves): 7-8
Adrak (Ginger): 1 " shoot
Hari mirch (green chilly)- 2-3

methi dana (fenugreek seeds): 12-15 seeds
saunf (aniseeds): 1 tspn
Dhania (coriander) powder: 1 tb spn
Lal mirch (Red chillly) powder: 1 tspn
Amchoor (dry mango) powder: 2 tspn
haldi (turmeric powder): 1 tspn
salt to taste (use lesser than what you would use in normal course as we rub salt on karele which makes them little salty).

• Peel karele (bittergourd), slit on one side longiitudinally, remove hard seeds.
• Keep the peel, chopp it finely.
• Take 2-3 tspn salt and rub it on each of the karelas (bittergourd) and on peel. Keep for 1 hr. This helps to reduce the bitterness.
• Peel the small onions, and put two slits half way from top crossing each other  .  
• Grind onion, ginger, garlic, green chilly, fenugreek seeds and aniseeds. Add rest of the stuffing ingredients and mix well.
• Wash karele and peel seperately.
• Mix the peel in the stuffing/masala.
• Fill all the karelas with the stuffing and tie them with thread so that the masala stays inside.
• Heat oil in a large flat bottomed pan, add mustard seeds and gently place the karelas and small onions in it. 
• Cook it on slow flame for 30-45 mins stirring occassionally till karelas are cooked evenly.
• Serve them with chopped green coriander garnishing. You can store these karelas for 2-3 days in refrigerator.