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, a cooling nature, and is believed to have the ability to enter the heart, lung, 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 the complexion.
In modern medicine, bitter gourd is known for its many health benefits such as enhancing vision, detoxifying the liver, balancing blood sugar levels, reducing swelling, supporting weight loss, improving constipation and hemorrhoids, enhancing the immune system, and having cancer-fighting abilities.
These mentioned benefits make bitter gourd a frequent choice in the daily menu of many people. Bitter gourd can be enjoyed fresh with dried pork skin and shrimp paste or processed into various dishes such as salads, stir-fries, stews, soups, or steamed, all of which are extremely interesting and nutritious. However, not everyone can adapt to its characteristic bitterness. Here’s a little tip to reduce the bitterness of bitter gourd by using honey, a familiar and easily accessible ingredient.
Ingredients
– 2 bitter gourds
– Salt, honey, white vinegar
Instructions
– Split the bitter gourd in half, remove the seeds and the pith. Pay attention to remove the white part inside the fruit, as this is the part that contains a lot of bitterness.
– Wash the bitter gourd thoroughly, cut it into thin slices.
– Soak the bitter gourd slices in a bowl of 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. Next, blanch the bitter gourd in 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 soothe it. This step helps prevent the bitter gourd from turning yellow due to high temperatures during the blanching process. 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 refrigerator or wrap it in a food preservation bag and place it in the refrigerator compartment. This method not only helps reduce bitterness but also makes the bitter gourd crispy.
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 wash them thoroughly, then soak in tamarind juice for about 30 minutes. This method can also help reduce the bitterness of bitter gourd.
According to Giaitri.thoibaovhnt
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