Karela or Bitter Gourd has been one of my favourites since childhood. Unlike some kids who used to make faces on hearing its name, I would always smile on hearing that in lunch we have 'karele ki subzi'.
Some years ago, we had bitter gourd growing at our home ( a long variety that is usually grown in hilly areas nearby) and it was so generous in producing fruits that we had to give away some to our friends and neighbours. So recalling old memories this year I decided to have home grown karelas for summer.
How did I grow them ?
By seeds . In early April, summer fruits and vegetables start coming in the market. And many times you can get a bitter gourd with ripe seeds inside. I too found one or two with ripe seeds which were removed from the fruit, dried in the sun for a day and they were ready to be sown.
Even before the climbers start flowering, one can know that it is bitter gourd by the smell of its leaves. When it gets shaken by the wind or when we brush our hand against its tender shoots, we get a bitter smell identical to the one present in its fruits. It climbs by means of tendrils. It catches hold of any support nearby and coils itself tightly around it. Hence it can spread pretty fast and in any direction, so it is always best to make a support for it before. In my case the support that I chose was a small citrus tree nearby so that the fruits remain within my reach. I directed the shoots on to it and they covered its little canopy in no time.
The looks..
The leaves are simple, with serrated margins and five to seven lobes.
Botanical name : Momordica charantia
Family : Cucurbitaceae
Common name : English- Bitter gourd, Bitter melon, Bitter squash
Hindi- Karela
Each plant bears male and female flowers separately. Male flowers come first followed by female flowers. On each shoot, male flowers are borne above and female below. It helps in pollination of female flowers from pollen falling from above.
When the male flowers start blooming,they are in abundance. This continues for several days. Last year too I had a climber growing and I wasn't aware of this difference in male and female flowers. So I was hoping to see some little karela hanging after the initial flowering spree. But soon I realised that those were male flowers when one day I spotted a flower that had a green center and an ovary shaped like a miniature bitter guard fruit.
Both male and female flowers are yellow, polypetallous (free petals numbering five). Male flowers have a orange-yellow center which is due to the pollen bearing anthers.
Female flowers on the other hand have a light green center which is the carpel. Also the ovary which is shaped exactly like a tiny bitter gourd and present behind the petals, is another feature that distinguishes female flowers from the male ones.
Female flowers appear some days after the male flowers and they are fewer in number initially but their number starts increasing soon and we can spot many little fruits hanging from the branches adorned with long, curly tendrils.
Spiky skinned fruits
By the time it started flowering, monsoons had arrived with full vigour. And this was the best time for its growth. The flowering increased so did the size of the fruits. Long, tapering, green bitter gourd fruits swayed like pendulums
in the monsoon winds, showing off their spiky skins.
To be eaten they are plucked while still green, before they start getting ripe and turn yellow. Though there were some that escaped our eyes and were spotted only when they turned bright orange (almost ready to split open) as it becomes difficult to spot green fruits among green leaves.
Health benefits
Bitter gourd is well known for its hypoglycaemic properties. Charantin a chemical substance found in its fruit is one of the phyto-chemical responsible for lowering blood sugar. Regular consumption of bitter gourd juice has been found effective in treating type 2 diabetes. It also contains many vital minerals and vitamins and is rich in folates and anti-oxidants. Its blood purifying properties help keep skin acne free and this is the main reason why it is one of my favourites during summers.
Culinary uses
Bitter gourd or Karela is made into a host of dishes ranging from quick and simple ones to the tedious ones that test your patience and skills. The skin is usually removed before cooking but such is our love for this fruit that we do not throw it away. They are dried well in sun to remove all moisture and then are deep fried till they become crisp and golden. The whole fruit too can be made into a crispy accompaniment. It is sliced thinly along with the skin, dipped in batter and deep fried. And not to forget the finger licking pickle made from it, this fruit's bitterness is what makes it so likable. Though some people run from it but this bitter fruit ultimately proves to be sweet for our health.
As my father recently told me," karele ka gun hai uski kadvahat" that means the goodness of bitter gourd lies in its bitterness.
Some years ago, we had bitter gourd growing at our home ( a long variety that is usually grown in hilly areas nearby) and it was so generous in producing fruits that we had to give away some to our friends and neighbours. So recalling old memories this year I decided to have home grown karelas for summer.
How did I grow them ?
By seeds . In early April, summer fruits and vegetables start coming in the market. And many times you can get a bitter gourd with ripe seeds inside. I too found one or two with ripe seeds which were removed from the fruit, dried in the sun for a day and they were ready to be sown.
Even before the climbers start flowering, one can know that it is bitter gourd by the smell of its leaves. When it gets shaken by the wind or when we brush our hand against its tender shoots, we get a bitter smell identical to the one present in its fruits. It climbs by means of tendrils. It catches hold of any support nearby and coils itself tightly around it. Hence it can spread pretty fast and in any direction, so it is always best to make a support for it before. In my case the support that I chose was a small citrus tree nearby so that the fruits remain within my reach. I directed the shoots on to it and they covered its little canopy in no time.
The looks..
The leaves are simple, with serrated margins and five to seven lobes.
Botanical name : Momordica charantia
Family : Cucurbitaceae
Common name : English- Bitter gourd, Bitter melon, Bitter squash
Hindi- Karela
Each plant bears male and female flowers separately. Male flowers come first followed by female flowers. On each shoot, male flowers are borne above and female below. It helps in pollination of female flowers from pollen falling from above.
When the male flowers start blooming,they are in abundance. This continues for several days. Last year too I had a climber growing and I wasn't aware of this difference in male and female flowers. So I was hoping to see some little karela hanging after the initial flowering spree. But soon I realised that those were male flowers when one day I spotted a flower that had a green center and an ovary shaped like a miniature bitter guard fruit.
Both male and female flowers are yellow, polypetallous (free petals numbering five). Male flowers have a orange-yellow center which is due to the pollen bearing anthers.
 |
| A male flower |
Female flowers on the other hand have a light green center which is the carpel. Also the ovary which is shaped exactly like a tiny bitter gourd and present behind the petals, is another feature that distinguishes female flowers from the male ones.
 |
| A developing female flower |
 |
| Female flower with elongated ovary and petals closed in a bud above |
 |
| Female flower in bloom |
Female flowers appear some days after the male flowers and they are fewer in number initially but their number starts increasing soon and we can spot many little fruits hanging from the branches adorned with long, curly tendrils.
Spiky skinned fruits
By the time it started flowering, monsoons had arrived with full vigour. And this was the best time for its growth. The flowering increased so did the size of the fruits. Long, tapering, green bitter gourd fruits swayed like pendulums
in the monsoon winds, showing off their spiky skins.
To be eaten they are plucked while still green, before they start getting ripe and turn yellow. Though there were some that escaped our eyes and were spotted only when they turned bright orange (almost ready to split open) as it becomes difficult to spot green fruits among green leaves.
Health benefits
Bitter gourd is well known for its hypoglycaemic properties. Charantin a chemical substance found in its fruit is one of the phyto-chemical responsible for lowering blood sugar. Regular consumption of bitter gourd juice has been found effective in treating type 2 diabetes. It also contains many vital minerals and vitamins and is rich in folates and anti-oxidants. Its blood purifying properties help keep skin acne free and this is the main reason why it is one of my favourites during summers.
Culinary uses
Bitter gourd or Karela is made into a host of dishes ranging from quick and simple ones to the tedious ones that test your patience and skills. The skin is usually removed before cooking but such is our love for this fruit that we do not throw it away. They are dried well in sun to remove all moisture and then are deep fried till they become crisp and golden. The whole fruit too can be made into a crispy accompaniment. It is sliced thinly along with the skin, dipped in batter and deep fried. And not to forget the finger licking pickle made from it, this fruit's bitterness is what makes it so likable. Though some people run from it but this bitter fruit ultimately proves to be sweet for our health.
As my father recently told me," karele ka gun hai uski kadvahat" that means the goodness of bitter gourd lies in its bitterness.
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