Bitter melon (bitter gourd) is a tropical and subtropical herbaceous plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family, widely cultivated in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit.
Bitter melon contains a large amount of valuable nutrients such as fiber, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and various beneficial vitamins. This type of fruit has a cooling effect, so it has the ability to cool and detoxify, detoxify the liver and heal rashes. Bitter melon has also been shown to help lower blood sugar levels, making it beneficial for people with diabetes. It is low in calories, making it an effective weight loss food.
Although bitter melon is good for health, many people find it difficult to eat. These tips for reducing the bitterness in bitter melon will help you confidently include it in your menu.
Tips to reduce the bitterness in bitter melon
These solutions are very easy to implement, so you no longer have to frown or try to eat dishes made from bitter melon, you can comfortably make use of its benefits.
Remove the white pith inside
After washing the bitter melon, you cut it in half and use a knife to remove all the white pith inside, the bitterness will significantly decrease.
Soak in water
You wash the bitter melon with water, then cut it in half, remove the seeds and slice it thinly. After slicing, you continue to rinse with cold water 3 – 4 more times. This is a very effective tip to reduce the bitterness in bitter melon, but it also removes a considerable amount of nutrients from this fruit.
There are many easy tips to reduce the bitterness in bitter melon. (Illustrative image: Istock)
Marinate with salt
Clean the bitter melon, remove the skin, seeds, and white pith inside, sprinkle salt on top and rub evenly. You place the marinated bitter melon in a clean dish or plate for about 30 minutes and then rinse it again with water to significantly reduce the bitterness.
Refrigerate
Low temperature reduces the perception of bitterness in this fruit significantly. You can soak the bitter melon with ice or place it in the refrigerator. This method also makes bitter melon more crunchy.
Blanch with hot water
Blanching with boiling water and then rinsing with cold water helps reduce the bitterness in bitter melon. However, this easy tip to reduce the bitterness in bitter melon also removes many nutrients.
Use palm sugar
Palm sugar helps make bitter melon more shiny and balances the taste, making the dish perfect. You just need to take a piece of palm sugar, grate it and add it to the bitter melon.
Some dishes cooked with bitter melon
– Stir-fried bitter melon with eggs: Wash the bitter melon, remove the seeds, and slice thinly. Beat chicken eggs in a bowl, season with spices and beat well. Place a pan on the stove, add a little cooking oil and stir-fry the bitter melon until cooked, then pour the beaten eggs, stir well until the eggs are cooked.
– Stuffed bitter melon with meat: Choose a medium, evenly and still green bitter melon, hollow out the seeds and pulp, and rinse well. You can leave the whole fruit or cut it into bite-sized pieces. Finely ground minced pork, season with spices, onions, pepper, and shiitake mushrooms… Use a spoon to stuff the meat into the center of the bitter melon, place it in a steamer and steam until cooked.
– Stir-fried bitter melon with pork: Wash the bitter melon, remove the seeds, and slice thinly; thinly slice pork meat. Place a pan on the stove, heat the oil and stir-fry the pork until cooked, then add the bitter melon and continue stir-frying until the bitter melon is cooked, season with spices and it’s done.
These recipes combined with tips for reducing the bitterness in bitter melon will help you create wonderful dishes from this nutritious fruit.
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