Crispy fried bitter gourd salad (karawila sambol)

Crispy fried bitter gourd salad or karawila sambol is a Sri Lankan salad recipe with fried bitter gourd, onion, tomatoes, green chilli, etc. A wonderful concoction of a few ordinary things and hey, we have a really tasty dish to serve with rice and curry.

Alright folks, raise your hand if you don’t like bitter gourd. Yep, me neither. I mean, it’s bitter. Not to mention it’s a gourd so bitter gourd truly has very little going for it BUT I will say this about this crispy fried bitter gourd salad recipe.

It’s crispy
It’s tangy
It’s fresh
It’s crunchy
It’s a standalone dish with rice
It’s delicious, I promise

So yes, total win here especially if you are quite iffy about bitter gourd but want to include it in your diet and feel all healthy and yay.

So where did this Sri Lankan crispy fried bitter gourd salad enter my repertoire or salad recipes, you ask? I have a bit of a secret you guys. I have a full time helper now and she’s Sri Lankan, not to mention a pretty great cook. In light of being a new mom who went back to work full time a month ago, I am riding on her recipes and dishes she cooks for our family. No harm, right? Sharing is caring.

Sri Lankans love their chillies and coconut. Have you checked out Sri Lankan palak dal, or this raw mango coconut curry or even this beetroot thel dala? Delicious I tell you!

They also have a lot of unique sambols or curries that go fabulously with rice which is their staple main food. This salad right here is a strong favourite and has us adding bitter gourd to our weekly grocery list which is a total game changer from before.

Print

Crispy Fried Bitter Gourd Salad Recipe

Author Nags

Yield 4-6 servings

A delicious Sri Lankan salad with crispy fried bitter gourd, onions, tomatoes, green chillies, and lemon juice. Perfect to serve with rice.

Ingredients

• 6 cups sliced bitter gourd
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
• 1/2 cup ripe cubed tomatoes
• 2-3 green chillies, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp lime juice
• Salt to taste
• Pepper powder to taste
• Oil to deep fry

Instructions

1. Wash and slice the bitter gourd into thin slices
2. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the bitter gourd slices until golden brown and crispy
3. Drain and set aside
4. Slice onions, tomatoes, and green chillies
5. When ready to serve, add the deep fried bitter gourd to the rest of the ingredients, salt, and pepper and mix thoroughly
6. Serve with rice

Notes

• You can prepare the deep fried bitter gourd a day in advance and assemble the salad whenever you are ready to serve
• Deseed the green chillies if you can't take too much heat
• Deseed the tomatoes if you want a crisper salad 
• Adjust the quantity of lime juice to your taste
• The bitter gourd will shrink a lot on frying so adjust quantity accordingly if cooking for a large group

Step by Step Crispy Fried Bitter Gourd Salad Recipe

Wash and slice the bitter gourd into thin slices

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the bitter gourd slices until golden brown and crispy

Drain and set aside

Slice onions, tomatoes, and green chillies. When ready to serve, add the deep fried bitter gourd to the rest of the ingredients, salt, lime juice, and pepper and mix thoroughly

Serve with rice