Bitter gourd, also known as bitter melon, is an essential part of many Vietnamese families’ meals. In traditional medicine, this fruit has a bitter taste, cool nature, and is believed to enter the heart, lungs, and spleen meridians. It is trusted to have the ability to cool the body, detoxify, improve blood circulation and urinary system, as well as soothe the mind and reduce inflammation. If consumed regularly, bitter gourd can also reduce skin problems and improve skin condition.
In modern medicine, bitter gourd is known for its many health benefits such as improving vision, detoxifying the liver, balancing blood sugar levels, reducing swelling, supporting weight loss, improving constipation and hemorrhoids, enhancing the immune system, and having potential anti-cancer properties.
The above-mentioned benefits make bitter gourd a frequent choice in the daily menu of many people. Bitter gourd can be enjoyed fresh with shredded pork and fermented shrimp or processed into various dishes such as salads, stir-fries, stews, soups, or steamed dishes, all of which are extremely interesting and nutritious. However, not everyone can adapt to its characteristic bitter taste. Here is a small tip to reduce the bitterness of bitter gourd by using honey, a familiar and easily available ingredient.
Ingredients
– 2 bitter gourds
– Salt, honey, white vinegar
Instructions
– Cut the bitter gourds in half, remove the seeds and the pith. Be sure to remove the white part inside the fruit, as this is the part that contains a lot of bitterness.
– Rinse the bitter gourds, cut them into thin slices.
– Soak the bitter gourd slices in clean water, add a few drops of honey to reduce the bitterness.
– Boil water in a pot, add a pinch of salt, a little vinegar, and a bit of honey. Then, immerse the bitter gourd in the boiling water for about 30 seconds. This helps remove the bitterness and also keeps the bitter gourd’s beautiful green color. Salt not only helps maintain the color but also retains the vitamins in the bitter gourd.
– Immediately after blanching, transfer the bitter gourd to a bowl of cold water to quickly calm it down. This step prevents the bitter gourd from turning yellow due to the high temperature from blanching. After that, you can freely combine bitter gourd with other ingredients according to your preference.
In addition to using honey, you can also try the following methods to reduce the bitterness of bitter gourd:
Chill the bitter gourd
Put the bitter gourd in the fridge or wrap it in a food storage bag and place it in the refrigerator. This method not only helps reduce bitterness but also makes the bitter gourd crunchier.
Marinate the bitter gourd with salt
After cutting the bitter gourd into small pieces, sprinkle a moderate amount of salt and marinate for about 15 minutes, then rinse under cold water to reduce bitterness.
Soak the bitter gourd in tamarind water
Cut the bitter gourd into pieces, remove the seeds and rinse thoroughly, then soak in tamarind juice for about 30 minutes. This method can also reduce the bitterness of bitter gourd.
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