Stuffed Karela (Bitter Gourd)

Introduction:
Wikipedia entry on bitter melon/gourd.
"Will it bite?" - BNH's reaction on seeing the bitter gourd at H-Mart. Sure, this melon looks fearsome and tastes extremely bitter if eaten raw, but when cooked it can become part of a tasty & healthy meal! Enjoy the preparation below with chapatis or as a side dish with rice.
The recipe below is one of many stuffed veggie preparations. The general procedure is to make some spiced powder/paste, stuff that into the vegetable and cook and serve them whole instead of cutting them into pieces. In this recipe, the gourd is slit lengthwise almost all the way in order for the paste-stuffing, but care is taken to ensure that the gourd says whole throughout the preparation (hence the bits of string).

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd (bitter melon, available at H-Mart), slit lengthwise and de-seeded - 1/4 kg (7 nos)
Onions, sliced - 4 small
Grated coconut - 4 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Black pepper corns - 7-8 (adjust according to taste)
Dried red chillies - 2
Green chillies - 2
Ginger - 1" piece
Khus khus (optional) - 1 tsp
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1/2" stick
Black cardamom, whole - 1 pod
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - about 2 tbsp (total)
Optionally, some cotton string to seal the gourds while cooking.

Time: 30-40 min
Servings: 3-4

Method:
Slit the bitter gourd lengthwise (not all the way) and coat the exposed skin with salt and turmeric (one way to do this is to dip a long knife in the salt-turmeric mixture and apply onto the gourd). Set aside to marinate. The salt helps decrease the bitter taste. Dry roast the coconut until golden brown and set aside. Roast the rest of the ingredients in a tsp of oil. Now sautée the onions in some oil until translucent. Grind all the ingredients together with minimum quantity of water in order to make a thick paste. Microwave uncovered on medium heat for 5-7 min. Stuff with the ground paste and tie with a string to keep the masala in.
In a wok, heat some oil and add mustard seeds and a pinch of asafoetida. When the mustard starts to sputter, slowly place the gourds in the wok and fry for a few minutes on a medium high flame. Transfer the contents (including any oil) into a microwave safe dish and microwave covered for 5-10 min (or until it is dry). If you desire a more liquidy consistency, add some water when cooking. Before serving, untie the veggies and remove the cotton thread if using. Enjoy hot with chapatis or white rice.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: Aunt's recipe