Bitter gourd is a unique and very healthy vegetable typical of some tropical regions. Consuming it helps strengthen the immune system, detoxify the liver, improve eyesight and even eliminate cancerous cells. There are many ways to incorporate it into your diet without making drastic changes. Before cooking and / or eating bitter gourd, select and cut it properly. Then you can fry it or use it to make a smoothie.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Choose and Cut the Bitter Gourd
Step 1. Look for bitter gourd in the summer
You can find it at the greengrocer or at a fruit and vegetable market. It should be long, green, and lumpy. Despite the name, bitter gourd does not resemble a classic gourd. Go to the greengrocer's or a fruit and vegetable market in July or August. Be aware that this vegetable looks like a cucumber, but the skin has many more bumps.
Step 2. Choose a small, compact pumpkin
When faced with a crate of bitter gourd, go for light green vegetables, which are smaller and firmer. This way you will make sure they are not bitter. As it matures and grows, this vegetable becomes more and more sour.
Prefer vegetables that have orange or yellow areas, as they tend to have a more delicate flavor
Step 3. Store the bitter gourd in the fridge for up to five days
Once you have purchased and brought the bitter gourd home, place it in an airtight container. Keep it in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator until it is time to prepare, cook and eat it. Don't wait for more than five days, or it may start to go bad.
Step 4. Wash the pumpkin
Before cutting and cooking it, turn on the cold water tap and wash it. Massage it with your hands or rub it gently with a clean sponge to remove dirt and / or pesticide residues.
Step 5. Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise and remove the core with the help of a spoon
Place the bitter gourd on a cutting board and carefully cut it in half along the center. Then, take a spoon to remove the pit and seeds. Finally, cut it into thin, crescent-shaped pieces.
Step 6. Sprinkle some salt on the pumpkin
Sprinkle some salt lightly and evenly over all the pieces you cut. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. The salt helps to soften the sour taste of the pumpkin, making it more pleasant.
Method 2 of 3: Sauté the Bitter Gourd
Step 1. Heat some oil in a wok
Take a wok or large, deep saucepan, then pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable or olive oil into it. Put it on the stove and set the flame to medium-high.
Step 2. Add some garlic and chopped onion
Finely chop a small onion and three or four garlic cloves on a cutting board. Put them in the wok and mix them with a large wooden spoon until golden brown.
Once the garlic and onion are golden brown, chop and add some tomatoes to flavor the pumpkin even more
Step 3. Add the squash and sauté it for two to three minutes
Cut two bitter gourds, put them in the wok and stir them constantly during cooking. After two or three minutes the pumpkin should begin to appear slightly transparent, which means it is almost ready.
Step 4. Beat and pour two eggs into the wok
Once you have cooked the squash for two to three minutes, beat two eggs and slowly pour them into the wok. Sauté them together with the other ingredients until they are well cooked.
Step 5. Remove the wok from the heat and season with salt
Move the wok to a cold part of the hob and turn off the heat. Collect the contents of the wok with a wooden spoon and pour it into a bowl. Season with salt and serve the bitter gourd with rice or noodles.
Method 3 of 3: Make a Bitter Gourd Drink
Step 1. Make a bitter gourd smoothie or juice
Chop the bitter gourd as finely as possible on a cutting board and place it in the jug of a blender or food processor. Add pomegranate seeds and / or chopped mangoes to make the drink more pleasant. Blend the ingredients until you get a fruit juice, or add some yogurt to make a smoothie.
Step 2. Drink bitter gourd tea
Many Asian supermarkets sell bitter gourd tea bags, which taste similar to that of green tea. Drink one cup in the morning and one in the evening to reap its daily benefits.
Step 3. Make a bitter gourd cocktail
If you are of legal age and want to try to consume bitter gourd in a different way than usual, try it in a cocktail. Finely grate the peel of a medium pumpkin. Wrap the zest with cheesecloth and twist it to squeeze the juice. Pour a tablespoon (15 ml) of juice into a shaker and add 30 ml of simple syrup, 20 ml of lime juice, 20 ml of gin and ice. Shake and pour the drink into a glass. Add 60ml of sparkling water and serve.
