Sweet Bitter Gourd Preserve (Karela Mitha)

This traditional Parsi preserve transforms the humble bitter gourd into a rich, sticky-sweet delicacy through slow-cooking with caramelized onions and jaggery. The vegetable's natural bitterness is perfectly balanced by the intense sweetness of jaggery and the savory richness of ghee, creating a reddish, jam-like consistency known as 'chas'. It serves as an excellent accompaniment to savory meals or flatbreads, and can even be topped with eggs for a hearty breakfast.

Ingredients

1 pound Bitter gourd (Karela) (Originally '1/2 seer'. Weighed after scraping and slicing.)
3 pounds Onions (Originally '1.5 seer'. Use medium-sized onions.)
2 1/2 pounds Jaggery (Gur) (Originally '1.25 seer'. Soft variety, cleaned and crushed.)
1 cup Ghee (Originally '1 pasher' (approx 1/4 seer or 225g).)
1 tablespoon Salt (Heaping spoonful.)
4 whole Eggs (Optional, for serving.)

Instructions

1Scrape the rough ridges off the bitter gourds with a knife. Slice them into thin, wafer-like rounds. Remove and discard any large or hard seeds from the center. Weigh out 1 pound of these prepared slices.
2Peel the onions and slice them very finely, similar to vermicelli (sev). Crush the jaggery into small pieces, ensuring any impurities are removed.
3In a heavy-bottomed pot (traditionally a tinned vessel), combine the prepared bitter gourd, sliced onions, and crushed jaggery. Add the ghee and the heaping tablespoon of salt. Mix everything thoroughly with a spoon.
4Cover the pot with a lid and place it on a low flame. Stir frequently to ensure even cooking. The mixture will release water as the jaggery melts and vegetables cook.
5When the released water has mostly evaporated, remove the lid. Continue cooking on very low heat (or embers), stirring occasionally. Cook until the mixture turns a rich red color, the syrup thickens (chas), and the ghee begins to separate from the mixture. Be careful not to let the syrup become too hard or candy-like; it should remain sticky but soft.
6Remove from heat. This preserve is delicious on its own, but you may also break eggs over the hot mixture and let them set if desired.