Pakistani summer curry · Balanced bitterness

Karela Gosht Recipe (Bitter Gourd and Meat Curry)

Salt and squeeze. Fry crisp. Balance with tang.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Karela gosht pairs bitter gourd with tender meat so the bitterness becomes a pleasant edge. It fails when the karela is too bitter. The fix is scraping, salting and squeezing the gourd, frying it until golden, and balancing with tomato and a little sugar.

Prep30m
Cook1h 25m
Servings5
kcal / serving400
LevelMedium
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of karela gosht

Why this recipe works

Salt and squeeze

Raw karela

Salting draws out bitter juice.

Fry first

Boiled karela

Frying adds flavour and softens bitterness.

Balance

Plain masala

Tomato and a little sugar round it out.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Meat and masala

Karela

The NineFoods meat gauge

Is the meat tender?

Press a piece of meat before adding the fried karela.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 5 stages

Step by step

1

Salt the karela

No heat · 20 min
  1. Rub sliced karela with salt and rest 20 minutes.
  2. Squeeze hard and rinse once.
Look for: karela limp and squeezed dry.
20:00
2

Brown onions

Medium · 10 min
  1. Fry onions in oil until golden.
  2. Add ginger garlic paste and fry 30 seconds.
Look for: golden onions.
10:00
3

Bhuno meat

Medium-high · 12 min
  1. Add meat and fry until browned.
  2. Add tomatoes and spices and bhuno until oil separates.
Look for: oil separating, masala dark red.
12:00
4

Tenderise

Low, covered · 50 min
  1. Add hot water, cover and cook.
  2. Check with the gauge above.
Look for: meat soft.
50:00
5

Add the vegetable

Medium · 15 min
  1. Fry karela until golden, then fold into the meat with sugar and lemon.
  2. Cook uncovered until the masala is thick.
Look for: golden karela in thick masala.
15:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Karela not salted or squeezed.

Fix next time

Salt, rest, squeeze and fry before adding.

Why

Cooked too long.

Fix next time

Add fried karela only in the last 15 minutes.

Why

Rushed.

Fix next time

Cook meat longer before adding karela.

Why

Too much lemon.

Fix next time

Add a pinch more sugar.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
KarelaMain vegetableNone, it is the dish
SugarBalances bitternessJaggery
MuttonMain proteinBeef or mince
LemonTangTamarind pulp

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Roti or paratha.

Store

Fridge 3 days; karela mellows overnight.

Reheat

Warm in an open pan so the karela stays crisp at the edges.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 5 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 5 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is the meat tender) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

All Pakistani recipes10 Essential Pakistani Spices and How to Use ThemHow to Make Garam Masala at HomeHow to Make Ginger Garlic Paste

Quick answers

Karela Gosht FAQ

How do I make karela less bitter?

Scrape, salt for 20 minutes, squeeze and fry it before adding to the curry.

Should I peel karela?

Scrape the rough skin lightly; do not peel fully.

Can I make karela with mince?

Yes, karela keema is a popular variation.

Is karela healthy?

It is a low-calorie vegetable widely eaten in Pakistan.