A jaggery-sweetened, bitter melon and cashew stir-fry.
This kaju karela nu shaak is a Gujarati dish made with ghee-coated crunchy cashews, chewy and plump golden raisins, and jaggery-sweetened bitter melon. It is a sweet, spicy, and bitter curry!
I know bitter isn’t an adjective you normally see in a food blog, but there’s no avoiding it here. We’re using bitter melon, which is, by nature, bitter.
But if you’re a bitter melon fan, then you know, this is the good kind of bitter. This is the kind of bitterness you crave.
I want to tell you that the bitterness isn’t that bad, but I know “isn’t that bad” isn’t going to convince you to try something new. And I’m not even sure I want to work to convince you – because if you’re not a food adventurer, then this isn’t the right dish for you.
The fact is that bitter melon is an acquired taste. Once you’ve acquired the taste, it’s so good. I’m not a beer drinker (never acquired the taste, heh), but I imagine it’s like that. I mean, no one likes beer at first, right?
What is Karela?
If you’ve never seen karela, it looks kind of like a prickly cucumber.
Karela is also known as bitter melon or bittergourd. It’s a vegetable believed to be native to India.
According to food historian K.T. Achaya, karela was first mentioned in early Jain literature around 400 BCE. In his book, A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food, he writes that “the practice of debittering the bittergourd by steeping it in salt water and washing it” is mentioned in 16th-century lit. I find it interesting that this method has been around for so long. People have been eating this vegetable for ages, and have probably been trying to remove its bitterness the entire time. That brings me to both ask and sort of answer my next question lol…
Why would anyone eat bitter food?
I think a lot of people like bitter things in moderation. Coffee is bitter. Green tea is bitter. Cacao nibs are bitter.
But bitter melon is extremely bitter. Still, many of us genuinely like the vegetable. Maybe because we were exposed to the flavor while growing up. When you combine bitter melon with other ingredients, I think you’re able to help mellow the bitterness to a level where you can maybe appreciate it more. Though the bitterness never disappears completely.
But why eat bitter food?
Well, Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medical system (which, for the record, I know very little about), encourages eating six tastes to maintain health and balance. Those six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, astringent, bitter, and pungent. In her book, Feasts and Fasts History of Food in India, food historian Colleen Sen writes that “in both Ayurveda and Unani, bitter and astringent foods are prescribed for diabetes.”
I think a lot of people eat bitter melon for its purported health benefits, though if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, I’d avoid eating it. Feel free to google for more on pros/cons of eating this vegetable as I’m not an expert. I eat it because I like it.
A Gujarati Dish
My friend Shilpa’s mom, Rashmi aunty, taught me how to make this sweet, spicy shaak (the word shaak just means cooked vegetables). This is one of aunty’s signature dishes, perfect for every day or a party (as long as you know your guests enjoy bitter melon).
It took a few attempts and facetime phone calls with aunty before I was able to adapt the recipe to an instant pot, but I’ve got it just right and now, I’m excited for you to try it too.
I have a few karela recipes already on the blog (stuffed aloo karela and masala stuffed karela), but I think this preparation is my favorite. This kaju karela shaak is different from my other karela recipes because there’s no onion or garlic. It’s sweetened with jaggery and raisins, which helps to balance the bitterness. And it calls for crunchy cashews which add a nice contrast in texture.
Again, karela isn’t for everyone. My 4-year-old acts as if I’m trying to poison him when I give him bitter melon. On the other hand, my toddler surprisingly seems to like bitter melon, at least in this recipe – likely because of the jaggery. I gave him some bittermelon for the first time while testing this recipe (he was 17 months at the time), and he appeared to genuinely enjoy it; he even clapped his hands! He’s in the “I’ll eat anything” phase, which as all parents know, lasts for a very short time, haha.
Bitter melon is a vegetable that requires a second, third, fourth chance. You may not like it right away, but over time (weeks, months, maybe years), you may find yourself craving it. If you’re new to bitter melon, this recipe is a great one to try. And if you’re already a fan of bitter melon, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this dish.
Instant Pot Kaju Karela Nu Shaak (Bitter Melon Cashew Stir-fry)
Instant Pot Kaju Karela Nu Shaak (Bitter Melon Cashew Stir-fry)
Ingredients
- 1 pound karela approx. 6-7 small to medium karela
- 4 tablespoons oil
- ½ cup raw cashews halved
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon hing
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
Spices:
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon amchur
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ⅓ cup water
Add later:
- ½ cup powdered jaggery to taste
- cilantro garnish
Instructions
To prepare the bitter melon:
- Slice the bittermelons in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and pulp.
- Slice the halves into ½ inch semi-circles, put them in a bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of salt and mix well (the salt will help to remove some of the bitter juices). Set this aside for 30 minutes, stirring the bowl around the 15-minute mark. Gather the remaining ingredients together while you wait. Rinse the bitter melon slices really well with cool water.
- Press sauté and adjust the heat to the highest setting, add oil and once it’s hot, add the cashews and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until golden. Remove the cashews with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pot. Set the cashews aside for now.
- Add mustard seeds to the oil and when they begin to sizzle, add the hing and stir, then add the bitter melon, raisins, spices, and stir. Pour the water into the pot and mix well.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve, and cook for 3 minutes at high pressure.
- Quick-release pressure
- Press sauté and adjust the heat to the highest setting, add the jaggery and mix well. Now let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the liquid in the pot (you will be tempted to stir, try not to – it needs to boil off liquid).
- Once the liquid has thickened, stir-fry for 5-6 minutes, keeping the stirring to a minimum at first to help caramelize the jaggery and bittermelon.
- Add the cashews back to the pot, mix well, garnish with cilantro, and serve.
LM says
Easy to follow recipe and absolutely delicious. I love raisins, bitter melon, and cashews so discovering this dish using all three was something of a dream come true for me. Thank you for taking the time to figure this out in the Instant Pot and share it with us! I’m hooked! Please thank the auntie who helped you, too 🙏🤗
Drew Peacock says
I was hoping you would have a new (to me) karela recipe that wasn’t stuffed as those are quite a bit of work (but worth it but not on a Monday night) and this really came through! I made a little turmeric rice to go with it just in case it was too bitter but it wasn’t, I might go a little lighter on the jaggery next time actually, I used the full 1/3rd cup but I don’t think it needs quite that much sweetness to offset the bitterness.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Drew, I’m so glad you liked it! This is one of my favorites! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you. And I agree, the stuffed ones are more work – but if you try them, do let me know what you think 🙂
Janet says
Actually we all crave bitter tastes from time to time–coffee is one example, and chocolate is another, although most of the time the natural bitterness of chocolate is overwhelmed with sweeteners. Most spices are also identified as bitter. I don’t think I am likely to find bitter melon in my small NC town, but I’m thinking this recipe would still be delicious with winter squash like butternut–minus the sweetener in the recipe.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Janet, very true! Let me know how it goes if you experiment with squash!
Tanuka Ghoshal says
This is a brilliant recipe! I have not tried this particular recipe of karela before- the Bengali ones don’t necessarily call for sugar- although I love those too. I simply fell in love with the taste- and actually binge-ate karela, lol 🙂 This is going to be a regular for sure. Thank you so much Ashley!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Tanuka, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much you liked it 🙂
brandy says
This is GOOD.
I am also not a big karela fan, but my husband loves it, so I made this for him. He hasn’t tried it yet, but I already know this will be in regular rotation!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Brandy, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out! 🙂
Jennifer says
This is the first time I’ve had karela so I was not sure what to expect. I was hooked by the third bite. It’s nice to try something so very different than what I’m used to, as I don’t eat or drink many bitter things. Definitely would make again, and I think the sauce would work well for a number of other vegetables.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Jennifer, that is awesome! I love that you gave this a try and liked it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Kalyani Bez says
Thank Ashley for this recipe. I’m a South Indian from Andhra. Karela is a must in our regular menu. I will certainly try ur recipe n get back to you.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Kalyani, glad to hear that. 🙂 Looking forward to hearing what you think!
Anna says
Hello Ashley,
Can we use frozen karela for this recipe
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Anna, I haven’t tested this with frozen karela but I think it’ll be fine. If you try, please let me know how it goes!
Kalyan says
My favorite vegetable. Definitely will give it a shot! Thanks
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Awesome! Can’t wait to hear what you think, Kalyan!
Humera says
This looks so yummy! I am going to try it this week!
Can you please make a keema stuffed (either beef or chicken) karela in the instant pot for your next karela recipe?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Humera, awesome, let me know what you think! And that sounds delicious – I will add that to my list of recipes to try!
Humera says
I got a chance to try this today and Ashley it was delicious! My husband and I loved it!!
I started following your blog a little over a year ago, and have gotten your books and have yet to be disappointed by your recipes. Love this blog and your cookbooks!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Humera, that’s awesome! I’m so glad you and your husband loved it! Happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes, thank you 🙂
Kamal says
Awesome . Always love karela. Definitely going to try it.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Kamal, awesome! Let me know what you think!
Lisa Portnoff says
Hi, I’ve been wanting to try a karela dish for a long time, and this just might be the one. But I don’t have an Instant Pot…can you please provide directions for stovetop preparation? Thanks!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Lisa, I’m sorry – I haven’t tested this on the stovetop so I don’t have exact directions, but that’s how my friend’s mom makes this. She first steams the karela and then stir-fries it. If you try this, please let me know how it goes!
Colleen says
I am surely going to try this. Thanks Ashley.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Colleen, awesome! Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Anu says
I love karela!! Gonna try definitely!
Thanks for coming up with stress free recipes!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Anu! Hope you love it!
Sonal Jhaveri says
Awesome!!! Been looking for this recipe ty so much
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Sonal, can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
Hazel says
Hi! Is there a substitute for hing and jaggery?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Hazel, there’s no substitute for hing – you can leave it out but I do think it adds something to this dish. Jaggery has a unique flavor but you can substitute it with brown sugar or coconut sugar.