I've been seeing a lot of bitter melon at the Farmer's Markets and in Asian groceries recently. I've always seen this fruit around, but I never knew what to do with it, so I decided to do some research.
Bitter melon are subtropical fruits that grow on vines, and they are commonly found in South and Southeast Asian cuisine. It also grows in Africa and the Caribbean.
Bitter melon is watery and crunchy like a cucumber, and can be eaten raw, but is more commonly used in stews, curries, and stir fries. As its name indicates, it has a bitter taste, but this is countered by salting the cut parts of the melon and cooking it with sauces and spices. It is also deep fried and served as a street snack.
You can experiment with bitter melon by trying some of these recipes:
Bitter Melon with Egg and Tofu
Chicken and Bitter Melon Soup
Pinkabet
(Image: Kathryn Hill)
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Mmm, pinkabet over rice--I grew up on that. It really does go well with a nice, sweetish meat like pork or lamb to cut the bitter.
My dad used to make a soup where he'd stuff them with a mixture of ground pork, clear glass noodles and wood ear mushrooms. Reminds me of childhood.
My dad used to stuff it with pork and make soup, similar to this recipe. Unfortunately, I have tried and tried to like bitter melon, but it's just too strong for me.
My mom used to saute bittermelon with ground pork over rice. Even over the years, I still can't get myself to eat it.
I haven't had pinakbet since I was a little kid and never acquired the taste of the bitter melon in it. I'd alway remove them from the dish. Maybe now that I'm older I'll like it? I'll have to make it one of these days to see!
I grew up eating this in a dish my mother made, a stir fry with beef and black beans. It's terrific, actually.
ooh, this is one of my fav vegetables... cooked with tons of sweet onions, spices in a dried curry!so very good with roti!
just had it the other day....so tasty!!! stuffed with ground pork and steamed over rice....
I love love bitter melon...in the Vietnamese stuffed way or sliced in soups.
oh. my mom tried to get my sisters and I to eat this w/ her when we were kids. think we gave it a shot once and never again. she's given up cooking it now since no one would even get near it. it's not one for the masses. the bitterness is wretched on my palette.
my mom used to sauté bitter melon with tomatoes and add (scrambled) eggs. never liked it, but was forced to eat it by my dad when i was younger. so i'd take a few slices, cut them smaller, then bury one of the pieces in a spoonful of rice. once i feel the bitter melon piece (while chewing slowly and carefully), i'd swallow it whole so i wouldn't have to taste it so much. blech. still don't like it. strangely enough i don't have a problem eating bitter melon leaves, which, if i remember right, were bitter too.
stuffed ampalaya (bitter melon) this says to choose bitter melon with less wrinkled skin so it'll be less bitter
<a hre="http://www.pinoycook.net/ampalaya-salad/">bitter melon 'salad'</a>
Oh my god - don't eat these raw! No one does that...
There are two kinds of bitter melon - your picture is the smaller Indian kind, which I prefer - and there is also the bigger, lighter and less wrinkly Chinese kind. That's the kind used for stuffing it with pork and making soup. I make mine south indian style with the small Indian bitter melons with a sweet and sour tamarind/jaggery sauce. Also like frying them or baking them in thin rounds as "chips" with salt, turmeric and chili powder.
It's an acquired taste - many Americans don't like bitter flavors - but having acquired it, I now have cravings for it.