Sweet Potato Stuffed Bitter Melons In A Tomato & Almond Gravy.

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   ["Boil, peel and mash the sweet potatoes and set aside.", "Prep the bitter melons as follows: after cleaning the vegetable, scrape off the rough pebbly surface using a peeler. Make a longitudinal slit along the length of the vegetable. Gently pry it open and scoop out all the pith and seeds using a small spoon. Take care to ensure that you don't tear the karela open.

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   Rub salt into the cavity and all over the exterior and set aside to drain for about 15-20 minutes. This tends to reduce excessive bitterness in the vegetable.", "Take about 2 tablespoons each of whole coriander, cumin and fennel seeds and crush them lightly using a mortar and pestle. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet and add the crushed spices.", "Once they begin to 'bloom' and emit their characteristic aroma add the cayenne chilli powder and 1/4 cup of garbanzo flour and toast it until it begins emitting a nutty aroma. Add this mixture along with a bit of salt to the mashed sweet potatoes and knead lightly to combine all the ingredients well.", "Shake of all excess liquid from the salted Karela and use a kitchen towel to wipe the outside and the interior cavity. Stuff the Sweet potato mixture into the karela, The vegetable will be less firm now that it's lost a lot of moisture, so dig in and stuff away.", "Mix in an extra couple of tablespoons of the garbanzo flour with a little water to make a thick paste. Generously apply the paste over the opening in the karela. For extra caution, tie up the stuffed specimens using bakers string. In a steamer basket, Steam the karelas for 15 minutes. (this cooks the karela and reduces the need to deep fry the vegetable in oil in order to prep it). Untie the bakers string after the vegetables have cooled completely.", "Heat the oil in a skillet and pan fry the Karela, carefully turning it over at regular intervals so that they get browned evenly. Remove and place on absorbent paper. You may want to fry them in two batches for the convenience of turning them over with the tongs and to avoid overcrowding the pan.", "In the same oil, add the diced onions and fry until they turn translucent. Add the Garam Masala followed by the tomato paste and cook down until the mixture is really thick and the tomato paste loses its 'raw' aroma. Add the almond flour and water and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a gentle boil.", "Add in the karelas into the tomato/almond gravy. lower the heat, cover and allow to simmer gently for about 10 minutes until all the flavors combine.

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   Transfer the karela pieces onto a serving dish and spoon the gravy over. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm with fresh whole wheat Roti."]

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.

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