How to Prepare Bitter Melon (Foo Gwa)
By admin on 2015-01-28

Also known as balsam pear, bitter melon resembles a cucumber with pockmarked skin.

While bitter melon is one of my favorite Chinese vegetables, even I must admit that, like cilantro, it’s an acquired taste! Here are simple tips for preparing bitter melon to use in stir-fries and other Chinese dishes. Note: true fans can skip parboiling the melon, which is designed to make its distinct flavor less overpowering.

Cut the Bitter Melon

Cutting Bitter Melon

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. (Skip this step if you don't plan to parboil the melon before stir-frying).
2. Cut the ends off the bitter melon and cut in half lengthwise (do not peel).

Remove the Seeds

Bitter melon has been used to lower blood sugar and is thought to help cool the digestive system.

Remove the seeds and white pith from the middle of the melon with a small spoon.

Slice the Bitter Melon

Cut the melon diagonally into thin, 1/4-inch slices.

Parboiling the Melon

Place the sliced bitter melon in the boiling water and parboil until it is just tender (2 - 3 minutes).Drain. Note: Parboiling partially cooks bitter melon as well as reducing its strong bitter taste. If you skip this step, you'll want to stir-fry the bitter melon longer: for about 3 minutes, until it begins to soften.

Using Bitter Melon

Pork With Bitter Melon and Chinese Black Beans

Add the bitter melon in the last stages of stir-frying. In this recipe for Pork With Bitter Melon, it is stir-fried for a minute and then simmered with pork and Chinese black beans in chicken broth. The pronounced flavor of the black beans helps counteract bitter melon’s strong taste.

Note: Bitter melon can also be steamed. A popular dish consists of stuffing the bitter melon with a mixture of ground pork and seasonings, then steaming it for 20 minutes and topping with a sauce made with Chinese black beans.