Bittergourds and Springonions Fry

Ingredients needed for the Karela spring onion masala
250 grams of Bitter gourd
2-3 spring onions. cut into longish pieces af about 1" size.
oil for frying
2 tsps onion paste
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp tomato puree
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsps coriander
1 tsp roasted cumin seeds powder
salt to taste

How to prepare karela spring onions masala?
Wash the bittergourds / Karela clean and then cut into thin round slices.
Sprinkle salt over that and keep aside for about 10 - 15 minutes.
Squeeze the water out and wash again to remove theexcess salt and the bitterness with it.
Heat a non stick fry pan, add about 2-3 tbsps of oil. Fry the bittergourds on a medium fire to a golden colour. Stir in between frying so that all the pieces turn uniformly golden and of course tender by that time.
If you like you can deep fry the bitter gourd pieces too for this recipe.
If you are deep frying them, drain out the excess oil and keep aside.
In the same pan, in a little oil, fry the onion, ginger and garlic pastes, Stir well so that the masalas do not stick at the bottom, once the raw smell goes, add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and the jeera / cumin seed powder .
Cook the masalas adding a little water for the spices to get cooked. Add tomato puree and mix well.
When the gravy gets cooked and the oil starts oozing in the sides, cover and simmer for two minutes.
Open the lid and add the spring onions, stir fry till the onions are cooked and then add the fried Karelas.
Stir gently so that all the masalas combine well and a nice aroma comes out.

Points to note:
Both white and green parts of the spring onions should be used for the good flavour.
As soon as the Karela gets mixed well with the masalas and the spring onions, the dish ready to serve.
Karela pieces should be crispy for a better taste.