Karela
Ref: C7040
Known in India as the "bitter gourd" or "bitter melon". This unusual looking vegetable is regarded highly as an aid to digestion and its ability to cure a wide range of common ailments. It looks like a very knobbly gherkin and has a taste and texture somewhere between a cooked courgette and a cucumber with crunchy edible seeds. A distinctive vegetable side dish .
Rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and a good source of carbohydrates, the fruits are fried, boiled, stuffed, dried, and pickled. Some cultures also consume the tender shoots and leaves. The fruits, leaves, and roots have long been used in India as a folk medicine for diabetes; and in the West Indies, tropical Mexico and South America karela is one of the most commonly used medicinal herbs.
Available in 400g tins. (in brine).
