Ingredients:Bitter gourd – 4, small
Masala for stuffing:
Roasted peanut – ½ cup
Garlic – 5-6 cloves
Garam masala – 1 tbsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp, optional
Fresh chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
Salt
Cooking procedure:
Wash the bitter gourd properly and slit them lengthwise leaving 1/2" from top and bottom ends so that the two halves DO NOT separate. Gently scoop out the seeds and discard them. We like our gourds little bitter, but if you want to reduce the bitterness you can blanch them in salty water. To blanch the gourds boil a large pot of water, add salt, gourds and cook for just 2 minutes, do not over cook. Adjust the cooking time as per the tenderness of the gourd. Drain the gourds and they are ready to be stuffed.
For the masala, grind all the ingredients except the coriander leaves to form a fine powder. Do not over mix or lumps will form. Then remove all the masala in a plate and add freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Stuff this masala into the bitter gourd and keep aside. Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in shallow pan. Add the stuffed bitter melon to it with stuffing side down and cook on medium heat. When the masala gets brown, flip the gourd, cover the pan and let cook on low to medium heat till the gourd gets tender. To check if the gourd is cooked, if you poke a knife in the ends of the gourd and if it goes through easily, it means the gourd is cooked. For last few minutes of cooking remove the lid and let it cook on low flame so that the bitter gourd gets crispier.
Wash the bitter gourd properly and slit them lengthwise leaving 1/2" from top and bottom ends so that the two halves DO NOT separate. Gently scoop out the seeds and discard them. We like our gourds little bitter, but if you want to reduce the bitterness you can blanch them in salty water. To blanch the gourds boil a large pot of water, add salt, gourds and cook for just 2 minutes, do not over cook. Adjust the cooking time as per the tenderness of the gourd. Drain the gourds and they are ready to be stuffed.
For the masala, grind all the ingredients except the coriander leaves to form a fine powder. Do not over mix or lumps will form. Then remove all the masala in a plate and add freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Stuff this masala into the bitter gourd and keep aside. Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in shallow pan. Add the stuffed bitter melon to it with stuffing side down and cook on medium heat. When the masala gets brown, flip the gourd, cover the pan and let cook on low to medium heat till the gourd gets tender. To check if the gourd is cooked, if you poke a knife in the ends of the gourd and if it goes through easily, it means the gourd is cooked. For last few minutes of cooking remove the lid and let it cook on low flame so that the bitter gourd gets crispier. 
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