Karela chips or bitter gourd crisps made in air fryer are a tasty and crunchy snack or munchie. It is perfect for tea time.
Bitter gourd is a bitter vegetable with many health benefits. It is treated with salt to reduce its bitterness.
Then cut finely, coated with spices and air fried for a healthy delicious snack.
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Karela or Bitter gourd is a bitter vegetable that is cooked with a lot of care in Indian cuisine.
I have grown up eating this simple karela stir fry as well as the more elaborate bharwa karela or stuffed bitter gourd.
Health Benefits of Karela or Bitter gourd:
1. Karela has been a part of a diet for diabetics for a long time in India as it is believed to regulate blood sugar as per this source.
2. It can help in reduction of bad cholesterol in the body. Source
3. It has abundant anti-oxidants that help in improving the condition of your skin and hair.
4. Karela is high in fibre and vitamins. Its regular consumption helps in weight loss and maintaining weight as a part of a healthy diet.
5. Karela due to its antimicrobial and anti-oxidants helps in purifying blood and flushing out toxins from the body.
Here is the karela chips recipe:
How to Make Karela Chips or Bitter Gourd Chips Pictures
To the thinly sliced karela slices, add salt and 1 tsp. lemon juice and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Squeeze out all the water and wash the slices to remove excess salt.
Now they are ready to be marinated.
Add all the spice powders along with chickpea flour and rice flour and sprinkle all over the bitter gourd slices.
Mix well and leave aside to marinate for about 20 minutes.
Now add 1 tbsp. oil and mix again.
By now, the spice coating would adhere to the bitter gourd slices.
Air Fry
Preheat airfryer at 160 C or 320 F for 5 minutes.
Brush the basket and lay out bitter gourd chips for airfrying or you can use parchment paper (helps prevent sticking).
Air fry for 10 minutes flipping once midway.
Now bump up the temperature to 200 C or 390 F and air fry for 6-8 minutes more flipping once midway.
Your bitter gourd chips should turn golden brown and crispy.
Do try this karela chips recipe and let me know.
Here's the recipe card:
📖 Recipe Card
Karela Chips Recipe | Crispy Bitter Gourd Chips
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 bitter gourd sliced into thin rounds
- 3 tbsp. chickpea flour or besan
- 1 tbsp. rice flour
- ½ tsp. carom seeds or ajwain
- 1 tsp. cayenne
- 1 tsp. amchur or dry mango powder
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- 1 tsp. garam masala powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. oil
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Instructions
- I added some salt and lemon juice to the bitter gourd slices and kept aside for 30 minutes. Then I squeezed them/washed them to remove the extra water and salt. This helps reduce the bitterness.
- Add all the spice powders along with chickpea flour and rice flour together and sprinkle all over the bitter gourd slices.
- Mix well and leave aside to marinate for about 20 minutes.
- Now add 1 tbsp. oil and mix again. By now, the spice coating would adhere to the bitter gourd slices.
Deep Fry
- If deep frying, heat oil in a pan and slowly fry the roundels till crispy. Drain on a kitchen paper towel and consume.
Air Fry
- Preheat airfryer at 160 deg C for 5 minutes.
- Brush the basket and lay out bitter gourd chips for airfrying or you can use parchment paper (helps prevent sticking).
- Air fry for 10 minutes turning once in the middle.
- Now bump up the temperature to 200 deg C and airfry for 6-8 minutes more turning once in the middle.
- Your bitter gourd chips should turn golden brown and crispy.
- Serve hot with chai.
Notes
Nutrition
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The Love of Spice says
I love Karela chips! I make it in a different way, south indian style, but still they are one of my favorites! It's the only form I eat karelas too! 😀
Rachna says
Hehe That's nice. You don't like bharwa karela? You should try it.
Natasha Sinha says
Karela is my DH's favourite, and he loves Karela chips too. I shall definitely give this a go in my air fryer, Rachana. Think have tried your kurkuri bhindi recipe in the past, in the air fryer.
Thanks for sharing.
Kollati Sreedevi says
Hi what's the shelf life of air fried karela chips and will they be crisp for a couple of days or become soft?
Rachna says
Yes maybe a day in an airtight container. You can always quickly reheat in the air fryer and serve. But yes they are best eaten fresh.