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Qorma, salan & curries

Karela Gosht Recipe

کریلے گوشت بنانے کا طریقہ

Mutton cooked in a thick onion-tomato masala with salted, fried karelas, so the bitterness is mellow and the masala is rich.
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Illustration of Karela Gosht

Prep

25 min

Cook

1 hr 20 min

Marinate / soak

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Spice

Medium hot

Karela gosht is a summer favourite in Punjabi and Karachi homes alike: bitter gourd and meat in a dry, well-fried masala. The karelas are scraped, salted and squeezed, then fried separately until browned, which tames the bitterness and keeps them from going soggy. Plenty of onion gives the masala a sweetness that balances the karela.

Ingredients

4 servings

For 4 servings

Measures

Karelas

To finish

Method

  1. Rub the sliced karelas with the tablespoon of salt and leave them in a colander.

    ⏱ 30 min

  2. Squeeze the karelas firmly to remove the bitter juice, rinse twice in water and squeeze again. Fry them in the 1/4 cup oil on medium heat until browned at the edges, then lift out.

    ⏱ 8 min

  3. In a heavy pot, heat the 1/3 cup oil and fry the onions until golden brown.

    ⏱ 10 min

  4. Add the mutton and ginger-garlic paste and fry on high heat until the meat changes colour and its water dries.

    ⏱ 8 min

  5. Add the tomatoes, yogurt, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric. Bhuno on medium heat until the oil separates.

    ⏱ 8 min

  6. Add the hot water, cover and simmer on low heat until the mutton is tender and most of the water has gone.

    ⏱ 45 min

  7. Add the fried karelas, garam masala and green chillies. Stir gently, cover and leave on low heat so the karelas soak up the masala.

    ⏱ 10 min

Tips for the best result

  • Choose small, dark-green karelas with tight ridges. Large pale ones are more bitter and have hard seeds; scoop those seeds out.
  • A teaspoon of amchur or a squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the dish and cuts the bitterness further.

Common mistakes

  • Skipping the salting and squeezing. The karelas stay sharply bitter and leak water into the masala.
  • Adding the karelas while the meat is still tough. They overcook and fall apart before the mutton is done.

How to serve

Serve with roti and a bowl of cool raita or plain yogurt.

Storing and reheating

Keeps 3 days in the fridge; the bitterness mellows overnight. Freezes for up to 1 month.

Nutrition and cost

Worked out from the ingredients, not measured in a lab. Treat both as a rough guide.

Per serving Estimate

Calories
870kcal
Protein
35g
Fat
73g
Carbs
20g
Fibre
6.8g
Sodium
2750mg

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), public domain values for the raw ingredients (100% of the recipe by weight had data). Deep-frying oil is counted at 20%; bones and water lost in cooking are not subtracted, so bone-in and fried dishes can read high. Not medical advice. Method

Cost per servingEstimate

≈ Rs 505

Whole dish ≈ Rs 2,010 · 74% of ingredients by weight priced

From the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics weekly SPI, week ended 29 Oct 2026. Spices, herbs and some vegetables are not in the SPI and are left out unless you add your price, so the real cost is a little higher. How this works

Karela Gosht: questions people ask

How do you remove bitterness from karela?

Scrape off the rough skin, rub the slices with salt, leave for 30 minutes, then squeeze, rinse and fry them. A little onion sweetness or a squeeze of lemon in the masala does the rest.

Can I make karela gosht with chicken?

Yes. Use 750 g chicken, skip most of the water and simmer for about 15 minutes before adding the karelas.

Serve it with, and similar recipes

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Read this recipe in Urdu: کریلے گوشت بنانے کا طریقہ

https://handi.danixsoft.com/recipes/karela-gosht · Handi, DanixSoft