Really appealing title, right? If you don’t like okra or purslane or Vietnamese spinach or marrow bone or fois gras, then this dish isn’t for you. Because that’s the onctuous texture of bitter when cooked. Unlike the marrow bone and fois gras, however, the creaminess is combined with crunch and tons of texture. There are two kinds of bitter melon I’ve seen in Canada. There’s the dark green, spiny kind you find at ethnic grocers and some larger grocery stores, and there’s the light green, smoother kind my fried pulls from her garden, seeds for which she was given by a neighbouring Asian gardener.
Most akin to okra from the vegetables above, it would also be great in gumbo. But it’s more often stir-fried in Chinese and Indian dishes. The thing is, it really is bitter. So you need to slice it open, remove the seeds and white pith like most other kinds of melon or squash (honeydew, cantaloupe, butternut, and even overgrown cucumbers), slice it fairly finely, and then toss it with salt (like eggplant) to remove the bitterness.
A little bitterness is great, but don’t worry because you’ll never extract too much. I use about 1 or 2 tbsp of salt, but again, don’t worry because you rinse the vegetables afterwards to wash away the bitterness and some of the excess salt. Combining the bitter melon with garlic, soy, chili and sugar balances the remaining bitterness (a generous pinch of sugar is key), and if you have some Japanese eggplant (they’re much sweeter than the fat Italian ones) they’re also a good foil.
The final texture should be soft enough to chew happily, not overly crunchy, and not mush. The melon fades as you cook it, signifying that some of its nutritional benefits are also lost, so you’ll want to not overcook it for more reasons than wanting to avoid the “mush” stage.
Stir-Fried Bitter Melon
6-8 medium bitter melon (about 6″ long), or the equivalent total amount of shorter or longer ones
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 lb green or purple beans (I had purple heirloom ones. Most people don’t, I know)
2 long, thin purple Japanese eggplant, or other sweet eggplant (or bitter fat Italian ones, sliced and sweated with salt like the bitter melon. This makes the dish awfully salty, though. And you’ll need to add an extra teaspoon of sugar to balance.)
1 tbsp soy sauce (or 1 1/2 tsp soy and 1 1/2 tsp fish sauce. Or 1 tbsp fish sauce)
2 tbsp water
1/2 – 3/4 tsp sugar (to taste, depending on the bitterness of your melon)
1/2 tsp minced red chili pepper (or 1/8 – 1/4 tsp crushed chili peppers. I often leave out the chilies and serve the dish with spicy kimchi…)
1/2 cup chopped spinach, swiss chard leaves or other quick-cooking leafy green, optional
Slice bitter melon lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Chop into 1/4″ slices width-wise. Toss with salt in a large bowl and transfer to a strainer above the bowl, allowing liquid to drain from the melon for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mince the garlic and cook some plain white Chinese rice. Pull from the tips from the beans and slice each bean into three pieces on the diagonal. No need to peel the eggplant. Just chop into three pieces width-wise and 4-6 pieces (depending on thickness) lengthwise.
Rinse the bitter melon to remove excess salt. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and, when hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds until just starting to brown.
Add the bitter melon and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and stir-fry 1 minute more. Now add the soy sauce (and/or fish sauce), water, sugar and minced red chili. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add beans, cover and continue to cook 2 minutes, or until beans, melon and eggplant are soft enough to eat. Adjust seasonings (more sugar if it’s too bitter). Stir in optional leafy greens. Boil off excess liquid. Serve with white rice.
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