Oh my gourd!

The dreaded bitter gourd can have delectable incarnations too. Dig in and let this knobbly green summer vegetable reinvent itself on your palate because it is, indeed, karela time!

Caviar and karela shots

Ingredients

Bitter gourd, 3 pieces Lemon juice, 2 tsp Honey, 1 tsp Salt, black salt and black pepper to taste Ice cubes as required Orange caviar

Method Remove the bitter gourd's skin along with the seeds and wash with water. Cut into medium-sized pieces and blend with honey and lemon juice until smooth. Add black salt, black pepper and ice cubes, and blend again. Pour into a cocktail glass, top with orange caviar and serve chilled.

Recipe courtesy chef Rahis Khan, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa

Keema-stuffed bitter gourd Ingredients Bitter gourd, 1 piece Chicken keema, 300 gm Onion, chopped, 1 large Spring onion, chopped, 1 Garlic, minced, 1 clove Ginger, grated, 1 tsp Garlic oil, 2 tsp Salt to taste

For seasoning: Oyster sauce, 1 tbsp Soy sauce, 1/2 tsp Sugar, 1 tbsp Pepper, 1/2 tbsp Sesame oil, 2 tsp Corn starch, 1 tbsp

Method Cut the bitter gourd into thick slices. Scrape out the seeds. Place in a bowl, rub in salt and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse to get rid of the salt. In a bowl, combine the keema, onion, spring onion, garlic, ginger and the seasoning ingredients. Mix well. Stuff into the bitter gourd slices. Arrange on a steaming dish. Drizzle over with 2 tsp of garlic oil. Bring water in a steamer to a rapid boil over high heat. Steam the stuffed bitter gourd for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy chef Gajendra Singh, Unplugged Courtyard

Tandoori peri-peri bitter gourd Ingredients Bitter Gourd, 4 pieces

For the marinade: Hung curd Peri-peri chilli powder Ginger and garlic paste Garam masala Salt to taste For the stuffing: Almonds, soaked and chopped, Raisins, soaked, Coconut, dessiccated Coriander, chopped Salt and black pepper to taste

Method Slit and deseed the bitter gourd, blanch in salted water. Mix the ingredients for the stuffing. Slit the bitter gourds and fill with the stuffing. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and make a paste. Add the stuffed bitter gourd and set aside for half an hour. Insert skewers into the bitter gourds cook in a tandoor or preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Slice and serve hot with lemon wedges.

Recipe courtesy chef Prem K Pogakula, The Imperial

Karela seekh kebab Ingredients Bitter gourd, grated, 2 large pieces Ghee, 1 tbsp Cumin seeds, 1 tbsp Garlic, chopped, 2 tbsp Ginger, chopped, 1 tbsp Beans, chopped, 100 gm Spinach, chopped, 100 gm Potatoes, grated, 200 gm Almonds, crushed, 5-6 Khoya, 1/2 cup Corn, 50 gm Roasted gram flour, 1/2 cup Black pepper, 1/2 tsp Salt to taste

Method Heat the ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, garlic and ginger, and saute till golden brown. Add the bitter gourd, beans, potatoes, black pepper and salt. Let it cook for a few minutes. Add almonds, khoya, corn and then the roasted gram flour to make the mixture into a dough. Settle the dough on a tandoor rod and place in the tandoor. Once roasted, serve hot with mint and green chilli chutney.

Recipe courtesy chef Rahis Khan, The Meropolitan Hotel & Spa

Kaju karela Ingredients l Scooped karela seeds,2 l Cashew nuts, 20 gm l Onion, chopped, 10 gm l Ginger, chopped, 5 gm l Garlic, chopped, 5 gm l Green chillies, chopped, 5 gm l Salt to taste

For gravy: l Onion, chopped, 20 gm l Garlic, chopped, 10 gm l Tomato, chopped, 15 gm l Cashew nut paste, 30 gm l Red chilli powder, 2 gm l Turmeric powder, 3 gm l Cumin seeds, 2 gm l Cream, 5 gm l Salt to taste

Method For stuffing: Peel and scoop two whole bitter gourds. Keep the seeds aside and blanch the gourds till they are half done, and then deep fry them till fully cooked. In a bowl, finely chop the seeds and cashew nuts. Heat oil in a pan and saute along with chopped onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies, seasoning to taste. Stuff the gourds with this mixture and set aside.

For the gravy: Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When they begin to crackle, add the garlic and onion. Saute for a while and add the chopped tomatoes and cashew nut paste. Cook for some time and then add the powdered spices. Add cream, followed by the stuffed gourds and cook for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy chef Sumalya Sarkar, The Gateway Resort Damdama Lake, Gurgaon