Don't go by the name, try this for its rarity and health value
So far we Indians have known, loved, and hated karela aka bitter gourd. While its sight and smell are repulsive to many, a few relish this vegetable. However, what we have been unaware of is bitter gourd’s sweet cousin that has existed for eternity. Yeah, you heard right, meetha karela aka Pahadi karela aka Cyclanthera pedata.
This cousin of karela is native to South of America grown in mountain areas of Mexico and Central America. But here in India is grown wildly on the mountains of Uttarakhand where you can find it in abundance during the winter season. This species can be grown in mountain areas up to 2000, being adapted to cool temperatures.
Identity in Uttarakhand In its native state where it grows in the wild on the mountains and in the Tarai belt, meetha karela is known by various other names, namely Ram karela, parmal, or kankoda. Whereas in the neighbouring country Nepal it is called badela. As for the reason why it is called Ram karela, legend has it that Lord Ram during his exile enjoyed eating them.
This crop is suitable for the hill state as it doesn’t get infested by pests and at the same time doesn’t need any special care to be grown. In fact, this specie of karela native to Uttarakhand aka pahadi karela is registered with the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi.
Ways of consuming Since from Uttarakhand, Garhwali locals either scrape the soft thorns from the skin before cooking or just let it be. According to experts from the region, till a few years back the black seeds of pahadi karela were roasted and relished by the locals during winters, a practice that has become common now.
And for the winters, locally it is also deseeded, sliced thin, and sun-dried during the early October so that it is stored for the winters. Then during the peak of winters, this sun-dried pahadi karela is soaked in water for some time, then coked with spices and relished either with chapati or rice.
Health value According to various researches, this cousin of karela is rich in iron, antioxidants and has blood purifying properties just like the bitter gourd. Apart from that it also has calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium.
A handy dish in a traditional Garhwali household, meetha karela has other ways of cooking. At times, people locally add a mix of flour or a paste of water-soaked rice to the cooked vegetable to make for thick gravy.
