Bitter Gourds Minced Beef

Karellay Qeema done right!

Ok, I have to be honest! I would have turned my nose up to the thought of having bitter gourd, but if prepared and cooked well, it’s certainly a game-changer. You won’t believe it, but even my kids have come to love it! This is the traditional Pakistani method of cooking it. The bitter gourds are prepped first and then stuffed with a prepared mince meat mix. The final product is an aromatic dish with overtones of pickles ( from the use of onion seeds/ Kalonji). Take the extra effort to make this, and leave your guests impressed.

Heads up! This is not a quick fix meal. It’s a labor of love. Also, if the idea of the bitterness of the gourd repels you, rest assured they will not be bitter. When Azfar’s mom makes this, even the kids love it, and frankly speaking I’ve rarely heard of desi kids relishing Karellay Qeema! It also has health benefits and is widely used in India to manage diabetes. You can find more information about it in this article.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs beef mince (90% lean)
6-7 bitter gourds (cleaned and prepped…see notes below)
1 large onion sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
¾ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp onion seed (kalonji)
2 diced tomatoes
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tablespoon yogurt
1 green chillies
Sliced ginger for garnish
Chopped cilantro (reserve some for garnish)
2-3 Chopped spring onions
Vinegar and salt for prep
1 tsp brown sugar

Preparation

• Scrape the outer skin of the bitter gourd.
• Make a long slit in the gourds and scoop out the insides, seeds and all. Reserve both the seeds and the outer scraped skin. It can be cooked separately, so don’t throw away.
• Take 2-3 teaspoons of salt and lavishly sprinkle on the cleaned gourds. Set aside for a few hours. This will help draw out a lot of the moisture and bitterness.
• After the gourds have sat in the salt for a few hours, discard the liquid that has come out and wash and rinse the gourds thoroughly till all the salt has come out of it.
• Take a ¼ cup of vinegar and apply to the gourds. Leave for ½ hour and then discard excess but do not rinse. Leave the gourds in the fridge overnight.

Qeema/ Beef filling:

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• Fry onions till golden brown.
• Add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the mince beef and then rinse it off.
• Add the mince to the onions and fry.
• Add the seasonings keep cooking about 5 mins on high heat.
• Add two diced tomatoes. Cover and cook for 10 mins or till tomatoes are soft.
• Add ginger garlic paste and continue cooking for another 5 mins.
• Once the oil separates and the minced meat is completely cooked, add the yogurt.
• Simmer for 10-15 mins. Finally add in chopped spring onions, green chilies and cilantro.
• Reserve some of the filling having strained the excess oil out of it.
• Stuff it in the gourds that have been previously cleaned and prepped. About 2 teaspoons in each.

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Assembly of Bitter Gourds!

Take a needle and thread and do an overlapping stitch to close the gourd after having filled it. Leave long ends of the thread on either end so that it can be pulled easily.
Take the filled and stitched gourds and fry them in a pan with some mustard oil.
Once all sides are fried, add a ¼ cup of water, put a lid on the pan and let the gourds cook till tender ( about 15 mins)

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The Final Countdown for the Bitter Gourds!

Add the cooked gourds to the remaining filling mix. Cover and cook on low heat for about 20 mins. Garnish with sliced ginger, sliced green chilies, and cilantro.
Serve with roti and yogurt. Make sure to remind your guests to pull the thread out before eating!

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If you are looking for other traditional Pakistani main dishes, check out Lahore Fish, another one of my favorites!