Pakistani sabzi · Less bitter

Karela Pyaz Recipe (Bitter Gourd with Onions)

Salt and squeeze. Fry crisp. Lots of onion.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Karela pyaz is bitter gourd cooked with lots of onion, a classic Pakistani sabzi that even karela haters can enjoy. It is unpleasant when too bitter. The fix is scraping and salting the karela, squeezing out the juice, frying until crisp, and balancing with plenty of onion, tomato and a pinch of sugar.

Prep40m
Cook30m
Servings4
kcal / serving200
LevelEasy
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of karela pyaz

Why this recipe works

Salt and squeeze

Cook straight

Removes most bitterness.

Fry crisp

Stew

Better texture.

Plenty of onion

Little

Sweetness balances bitter.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

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

Karela

The NineFoods karela gauge

Is it fried enough?

Look at the slices.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 3 stages

Step by step

1

Salt

No heat · 30 min
  1. Rub karela with salt; rest 30 minutes; squeeze and rinse.
Look for: less bitter karela.
30:00
2

Fry

Medium · 10 min
  1. Fry karela until crisp. Use the gauge above.
Look for: crisp karela.
10:00
3

Onions

Medium · 15 min
  1. Add onions until soft and golden, then tomatoes, spices, amchur and sugar.
Look for: karela pyaz.
15:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Not salted.

Fix next time

Salt, squeeze and rinse.

Why

Not fried.

Fix next time

Fry until crisp.

Why

Few onions.

Fix next time

Use plenty of onion.

Why

High heat.

Fix next time

Medium heat.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
KarelaMainNo substitute
OnionsBalanceMore tomato
AmchurTangLemon
SugarBalanceJaggery

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Roti and daal.

Store

Fridge 3 days.

Reheat

Dry pan.

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 4 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is it fried enough) 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 Daal and Sabzi recipesPakistani Daal TypesTarka10 Essential Pakistani Spices and How to Use Them

Quick answers

Karela Pyaz FAQ

How do I remove bitterness from karela?

Rub with salt, rest and squeeze out the juice.

Is karela healthy?

Yes, it is often eaten for blood sugar.

Should I peel karela?

Scrape lightly; do not peel fully.

Can I stuff karela?

Yes, bharwan karela is another classic.