Bittermelon, Tofu, Egg Stir-Fry

These are the three bittermelon varieties that I usually come across - the green Chinese bittermelon, the spiny green Indian bittermelon and the less common white Chinese bittermelon. I like all three but tend to choose the specific variety depending on what is going to be dished up. For example, green Chinese bittermelon for Bittermleon Egg Drop Soup, Stir-Fry Bittermelon with Egg; white Chinese bittermelon for Bittermelon Salad; Indian bittermelon for Spiced-Fried Bittermelon or Spiced Roasted Bittermelon.

These bittermelons can be used interchangeably for the different dishes. For example, I have used Chinese bittermelon to make Indian-style bittermelon curry and it has worked very well.


The wild bittermelon (Japanese Goya 山苦瓜) stir-fry is a very common dish in Okinawa home-cooking and it is typically cooked with pork, tofu and egg. Since I cannot find the Okinawan-type bittermelon, I substituted it with the Indian bittermelon which I thought, resembles the spiny Japanese Goya, just shorter in length.

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Braised Yellow Croaker with Bittermelon

Without Chinese fermented black beans, this Braised Yellow Croaker Fish with Bittermelon can still be perfected in its own way and enjoyed at its best.


Besides complementing well with chicken (Braised Chicken with Bittermelon), bittermelon also goes well with fish. The bitterness of this melon cuts through the briny subtly-sweet fish and brings balance to a otherwise single-dimensional savory dish.

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Garlic Bittermelon Stir-Fry 蒜炒苦瓜

If dicing small makes it easier (and quicker) to cook, slicing thin also achieves the same.


A lot of bittermelon dishes uses rich or heavy seasoning (e.g. fermented soy- or black beans), or flavoring (e.g. salted egg, tomatoes, spices) in order to mask the bittermelon's bitterness. These dishes are delicious and I enjoy them, as the saltiness perfectly balances the bitterness of this vegetable. However, there are also lighter-seasoned bittermelon dish such as bittermelon salad and garlic bittermelon stir-fry.

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Bittermelon, Woodear Mushrooms Steamed Chicken 苦瓜黑木耳蒸鸡

This might look strange or even weird as bitter melon and chicken are usually braised as one-dish and not steamed like what is done here. Steaming is a fuss-free alternative to cook this dish, if you are not turned off by bitter-melon.


Taste-wise, I am not particularly happy with the results. I prefer Braised Chicken with Bittermelon to this steamed version, anytime. However, as a way of positive thinking, this dish has two healthy and nutritious ingredients - bitter melon and woodear mushrooms. They are equivalent to the "super-food" in the Chinese culinary world - each has unique compounds that are beneficial for us, medicinal, health or even beauty.

Woodear mushrooms are rich in plant collagen and contains very high amounts of iron, protein and riboflavin (vitamin B12) that is comparable to that of meat (Source: Ezyhealth).

Other than being an excellent source of Vitamin Bs, Vitamin C and the essential minerals and nutrients, bitter melon contains a unique phyto-constituent - charantin, that has a hypoglycemic effect, keeping blood sugar under control. There is also plant insulin - polypeptide P which have been suggested as insulin replacement in some diabetic patients.

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Bittermelon with Salted Egg 苦瓜炒咸蛋

When we are out of our comfort zone, we tend to find other ways to learn and perform. For example, I would never think of buying an ingredient such as salted egg, as part of my grocery-list. But when a friend gives you that not-your-norm ingredient, it spurs you to cook something different, once in a while.


Bittermelon with Salted Egg 苦瓜炒咸蛋 is not something different or new; in fact it is quite a popular dish in parts of Asia e.g. Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia; and often presents itself as a homey side-dish that is perfect accompaniment with rice porridge (rice congee, rice gruel) or steamed rice. I have not cooked this dish at home before but I have tried it many times when I was in Taiwan. When done correctly, the saltiness of the egg perfectly balances the bitterness of the bittermelon.

However, with the salted egg "given" to me, I am going to cook Bittermelon with Salted Egg at home, right now! Even if this is the first and last salted egg that is going to appear in my kitchen, at least I get to go through the motion of cooking this dish at home.

Do you know there are many bitter melon varieties such as White Bitter-Melon, "Spikey" Bitter- Melon, and the one most familiar to me (also the one I most often cook with) - the rounder less "spikey" Chinese-style Bitter-Melon which can be used for braising, and cooking egg-drop soup?

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White Bittermelon Salad 凉拌苦瓜

Second to this raw salad Cucumber with Sesame Oil and Soy Dressing, this is another Chinese-style cold appetizer that does not need any cooking - not even blanching. Raw.

To be more specific, raw bittermelon.

I tried white bittermelon for the first time when I was in Taiwan many years ago. It is not common to see white bittermelon here in California, not even in the Asian supermarket. When I spotted that rare few among their green counterparts in Sunnyvale farmers market, I bought it without much consideration. Now, I can try this salad dish that I learn from this cooking video. The instructional video (in Mandarin) can be found at the end of this post.


As bittermelon is "cooling" in nature, it helps to relieve "heat" within the body, thus particularly useful as a counter-balance to the "yin" and "yang" in the body during summertime. There are many varieties of bittermelon. The Indian variety typically has sharper, "closely knitted" ridges compared to the Chinese variety. Then among the Chinese varieties, there is this white bittermelon, originally cultivated from Taiwan, which is much less bitter compared to the green bittermelon. During cultivation, these white fruits are often protected with paper sleeves. to close the top end and keep the bottom end open, blocking the exposure to the sun (yielding whiter fruits).

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Spice-Fried Biittermelon (Bittergourd) 辣炒苦瓜

It is apparent by now that I do not dislike bittermelon. I have cooked bitter melon many times, different ways.


With the use of curry leaves, this is a slight tweak from this recipe Spicy Bittermelon with Tomatoes. That alluring aroma of curry leaves blends in perfect with the spice, tangy-sweet tomatoes and  bittermelon.

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Braised Chicken with Bitter Gourd 苦瓜焖鸡肉

For this dish, I picked up a tip from my parents' helper when I was in Singapore a few months ago; that is, to use a lot of onions to braise this dish of bitter gourd and chicken.

A very tasty dish with the hint of bitter notes balanced with the sweetness of "melted" onions, and savory chicken.

A home-cooked dish/food 家常菜 like this appeals to me personally as it brings comfort and satisfaction during meal times.

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Spicy Bitter Melon with Tomatoes 印度式辣苦瓜番茄

Following the Spiced Roasted Bitter Melon comes this "dry-curry" bitter melon creation that is inspired by my friend's mom (who is Indian) - oh...I enjoy Indian dishes so much! So why not take the opportunity to learn the ropes? One fine day, I had the chance.

No substantial gravy intended

Oh, what curry is that? I better call it Spicy Bitter Melon with Tomatoes

Bitter melon cubes! Look at those fresh jade-green bitter melon.

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Spiced Roasted Bitter Melon (Bittergourd)

My latest write-up about bitter melon: Bitter Melon, What a Melon! is published on October 2011 issue of Basil Magazine. Go check it out.

Spiced Roasted Bitter Melon

In this same write-up in Basil Magazine is a tasty and easy Spiced Roasted Bitter Melon recipe that hopefully opens up a variety of bitter melon dishes you can try. Last week, bitter melon soup was featured, and now this, I'm trying to convert you....can't you see? :D  I will give myself five times (or more) to convert you. LOL


In this recipe, I have used the darker green bitter melon variety (photo below, front), narrower shape with pointed ends, and more spiny than the rounder-shaped bitter melon (photo below, back) that I usually cook with.

Front: Indian phenotype bitter melon; back: Chinese phenotype bitter melon

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Bitter Melon Egg Drop Soup 苦瓜蛋花汤

Check out my latest Basil Magazine write-up: Bitter Melon, What a Melon! in October 2011 issue.

Indeed, with Ayurvedic Insights, the Six Tastes of Life (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, astringent) offers another interesting perspective to see balance in food and health.

I often hear this from friends - "life is already bitter, why eat bitter food to make life more bitter?".

On the point of bitter - who likes bitter food? And what is your favorite bitter food?

Mine happens to be bitter melon! I love it.


Bitter food is good for us, and helps to speed up our metabolism. Green vegetables such as broccoli, and spinach can also be classified as bitter good. Well, broccoli and spinach do not taste bitter to me. Bitter melon might be the ultimate!

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Sardines and Bittermelon Quick-Curry-Stew

I did not create anything new. Basically, I just re-marry ingredients and it must be bold of me to get these two ingredients together. Bittermelon and Brisling Sardines. Cannot imagine? Ha...I find it hard to imagine too before I wanted to cook it. I was bored with Brisling Sardines Curry with Tomatoes, Onions and Celery.


The base recipe is Bitter Melon Tomato Curry, only adding Brisling Sardines towards the last 5 minutes of cooking, mash the sardines up in this quick stew and allow the flavors to infuse.

I can tell you it is not that bad at all. The bitterness is mild, really mild. The tangy tomatoes done its job well again. Then the smoky virtues of sardines to balance the savory, sweet, tangy, bitterness - you need to try this.

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Bitter Melon Tomato Curry

Some say that it is a smart healthy move to incorporate AT LEAST ONE TOMATO in AT LEAST ONE DISH, EVERYDAY. So here comes. Not the usual bittergourd egg drop soup or bittergourd stir-fried with eggs or braised bittergourd but this bittergourd (bitter melon) with tomatoes inspired from Indian-Style Bitter Melon Curry. For me, an easy and delicious fresh new spin on familiar foods.

Tomatoes give this dish tangy flavors: so if tangy is what you love, I don't see why you don't enjoy this...unless you seriously dislike bitter melon. It is an acquired taste. I enjoyed bitter melon even when I was a kid (I must be one of those few). And somehow because of the tomatoes, the bitterness is subtly masked. I made this bitter melon dish the same way I made this okra, using some of my favorite spices.

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Braised bittergourd with chicken and tofu

Thanks to this "sloppy, bitter but good" bittergourd recipe, I have another way of doing up my bittergourds. :)


Usually like my bittergourds cooked till soft


Ok. I know some of you do not like bittergourds

Other quick and easy recipes:

Steamed bittergourds stuffed with pork
Bittergourd soup

Tag: vegetables, karela, bittergourd, bitter melon, steamed bittergourd

Steaming stuffed bittergourds with pork

From the response I get here, bitter gourd is surely a "like it" or "hate it" vegetable or fruit. About 50% of you like them, and 50% don't. Besides the soup, I also cooked a steamed version. Similar to the soup, this is another easy bitter gourd dish to cook.

Steamed bitter gourd or bittermelon, stuffed with minced pork (serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 3 medium sized bitter gourd, washed, seeds removed, cut into chunks, as shown
- 1/3 to 1/2 lbs minced pork
- handful of black fungus, washed and chopped finely
- 2 stalks scallions or handful of cilantro leaves, chopped finely

marinade/seasoning (for the pork):
-1tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
-2tsp dark soy sauce
-1tsp sesame oil
-dashes of pepper
-dashes of salt
-2tsp cornflour

Method:
1. To the pork, add black fungus, scallions(or cilantro), mix well
2. Then add the marinade/seasoning to the pork, mix well. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, core the bitter gourd as shown
4. Scoop up pork and stuff into the hollow of the bitter gourd, as shown.
Note: For excess pork, can just roll them into mini pork balls and steam them together with the stuffed bitter gourd. It will only add more flavor to the gravy. No harm.
5. Steam for 15-20mins
Note: The longer you steam, the softer the bitter gourd becomes, and you get more "gravy"from the moisture in the bitter gourd, and the seasoned pork
Note: To prevent steam condensation on the bitter gourd dish, you can cover the plate of stuffed bitter gourd with a saran wrap before steaming
Note: If you prefer a soup version of this, you could. Just drop the stuffed bitter gourd into a slow-cooker, top with some water/broth and slow-cook as a soup.

Other posts:
Steamed chicken with mushrooms, ginger and spring onions
Tofu with spinach and minced pork soup

Steaming is healthy - let the natural flavors of bitter gourd and lightly seasoned pork infuse. No oil required other the the sesame oil used for seasoning.

Steaming is easy - as easy as slow-cooking. This case, you just need a steamer (I used the traditional wok for steaming), not much attention required after you put the dish into the steamer. Of course, if more than 20-25mins, you need to make sure the water used for steaming does not dry out! And do you realize if you cook it this way, there are lesser plates, and no oily pan to wash ? The plate you place your raw ingredients (i.e uncooked stuffed bitter gourds), is the plate you place into the steamer, and is the plate of food you serve and dig into.

More posts:
Bitter gourd soup
Nyonya Chap Chai - Vegetables Stew or Braised Vegetables


Tag: vegetables, karela, bittergourd, bitter melon, steamed bittergourd

Bittergourd? In soup, stews, stir-frys? Or braised, steamed?

Do you like bittergourd? In soup, stews, stir-frys? Or braised, steamed? Not many people do, whatever way bittergourds are cooked. It's known as Bitter Melon in Wikipedia but I call it bittergourd all along since young. While doing this post for Jihva-Greens, I re-discovered that bittergourd is also known as karela in India. This vegetable or fruit, is rich in potassium, calcium, iron, beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B3 and C. You can read about other health benefits that are widely published online.

Vegetable or fruit ?? - oh, please don't make me answer this? By definition, it should be a fruit since it has seeds. But I cook and eat them like a vegetable.


Bittergourd/Bitter Melon/Karela soup (serves 2)
Ingredients:
-1 medium-sized bitter melon; washed, seeds removed then cut into thin strips
-1 egg, whisked
- vegetable stock (or any stock you prefer)
- dried anchovies (option)
- salt, to taste (if you are not using dried anchovies, you can add more salt)

Note:
~ can cut into bigger chunks first, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then cut into thinner strips(julienned)
~ bitter melon is an acquired taste for some, because it is bitter. They are not named without valid reasons. To reduce bitterness, you can add some salt into water, and soak the thin strips in the water(~5mins). I guess the longer you soak, the less bitter it will be. But I like bitter gourd...bitter...so I just lightly rinse water over the bitter melon that I sprinkled some salt over

Method:
1. Boil a pot of water. When boiling, add in dried anchovies(option), then add in bittergourd
2. Since in thin strips, it does not take long for the bittergourd to cook. Approx ~ 10-15mins for the bittergourd to soften (Note: It depends. If you like some crunch to be retained, do not boil it for too long)
3. Salt, to taste
4. When ready to serve, turn off the heat, and add in the egg slowly into the soup, stir slightly

Other soup posts:
Wakame soup
Cream of mushroom soup
Tofu soup
Doubled boiled soup
Cabbage pork ball soup

Tag: vegetables, karela, bittergourd, bitter melon, soup