Wash the bitter gourds. Slice the tips on both the sides and discard.

Slit them lengthwise leaving one cm from top and bottom ends. Make sure that the slit is shallow enough such that the two halves do not separate. With a spoon carefully remove the seeds.

Take couple of cups of water in a vessel. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to it. Mix to dissolve salt.

Put the bitter gourds in this salt water and boil. After the water starts boiling, keep it on a simmer till the gourds’ skin gets soft. Drain the water and allow them to cool down.

Heat the oil in a separate skillet/pan on a low flame. When oil becomes hot, add cumin seeds and coriander seeds.

After they splutter, add garlic and onion.

Stir fry until the onion turns golden brownish. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté till they become mushy.

Add the red chillies, turmeric powder and kasuri methi.

After some time, add tomato sauce. Keep stirring so that the mixture does not get stuck to the pan. Add salt to taste.

After 2-3 minutes, turn off the flame and allow the pan to cool down.

Take the mixture into a mixer and grind it into a coarse paste. Do not add water while grinding. Add chili powder and salt if required.

Carefully, fill the bitter gourds with this paste through the slits. After this is done, tie a thread around the bitter gourds so that the paste does not come out.

In a frying pan, add 5 tablespoons of oil.

Add the gourds and shallow fry till the skin turns a little brown. Turn off the flame.

After the bitter gourds cool down, carefully remove the threads. Use the remaining paste as a gravy around the bitter gourds.

Garnish with coriander leaves.