Bitter Gourd

Are evolving taste buds a sign of adulting?

If there’s one vegetable I’ve despised all my life, it’s bitter gourd, aka karela. It has always looked unappetising - with its bumpy, prickly skin - and reeked of bitterness even before I had tasted it for the first time. And when I did - omg, I could puke.

As a hardcore foodie who seldom falls sick even after eating food from questionable places, when people inquired about my dietary preferences and allergies, I’d say “I eat everything except karela.”

All this changed a few days ago. I plucked a handful of bitter gourd from my backyard and had mixed feelings. They looked beautiful - especially since they were homegrown. The uneven skin - so therapeutic to touch. The different shades of green - mesmerising! But out of the ten different kinds of vegetable seeds we had planted in the patch, why did karela have to be the only one that was thriving?! It felt like the universe was cracking a joke at my expense.

© Ila Redddy

Ordinarily, I would’ve given away the bitter gourd to my neighbours to cook and enjoy. But something came over me this time around. I was adamant on trying out some recipes because there have been one or two instances in the recent past when karela actually tasted good because the chef had managed to get rid of the bitterness. I never bothered asking them how they did this - I mean, why on earth would I willingly cook karela - but for some reason I was suddenly keen to find out.

I clicked a photo of my harvest and posted it on the ‘gram, asking friends and acquaintances for trusted recipes. I got a dozen! We tried one of them at home - soaking the karela in salt water, draining it to get rid of the bitterness, marinating it with spices, coating it with rava, and pan-frying it like the Goans do. It was delicious! 

Some of the other recipes I received were more interesting and experimental. Karela ka raita. Bharwa karela stuffed with raw mango. Karela chokha. Stir-fried karela with pork. Bitter gourd with dried shrimp. Who knew so many fun dishes could be made with one bitter vegetable!

Well, now I know. And I can’t wait to try each and every one of them. 

I suppose our taste buds evolve as we grow older. Or maybe I’ve just warmed up to the prospect of embracing and digesting bitterness. There’s no more expectation or desire for everything to taste sweet and good. I’d rather have something real – even if it’s thoda kadwa. 

Have a karela recipe you love? Share it with me in the comments ;)

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This short essay was written in response to a prompt shared at the Ochre Sky Stories Writing Circle facilitated by Natasha Badhwar and Raju Tai.