bitter melon

Bitter Melon juice with Ginger, Honey and Lemon

May 23, 2014RongHua ChingJuices & Smoothie'sbitter gourd, bitter melon, energetic, healthy, healthy drinks, immune system, juice, nutritious

The basic recipe for bitter melon or bitter gourd juice:

2-3 small spiky bitter melon cleaned, halved remove sponge with seeds and pith or 1 medium-large smooth bitter melon
honey and lemon juice to taste
water

In some cooking and juicing recipes you can use the whole vegetable only removing the ends and chopped, the seeds are edible but work on your digestive system, a known side effect is a gastrointestinal discomfort.

Drinking bitter Melon juice plain mixed with a little bit of water is common, but it gets more palatable by adding ginger, lemon/lime juice and honey. For more recipes click here.

Bitter Melon Juice with Ginger, honey and lemon

[recipe]

5 Best Bitter Melon Juice recipes

May 23, 2014RongHua ChingDrinksAvocado, beetroot, bitter gourd, bitter melon, blender, drink, fruit juicing machine, ginger, healthy drinks, honey, juice, karela, lemon juice, vegetable

Bitter gourd vegetable has many varieties and even more recipes in the south-east Asian region, some of the tested dishes are gobsmacking good. However, I was not used to drinking bitter melon juice that only happened when we moved to live in Asia. For centuries it is known and praised for it medicinal and curative properties purposes. Used as a folk remedy to help with weight loss, blood disorders and bad hangovers; it helps lowering blood glucose levels in diabetics. To extract bitter gourd juice, a juicing machine is helpful but a blender will work as well.

Bitter gourd, bitter melon, bitter squash in English, goes by many other language names

My friends in New Delhi informed me to drink some bitter gourd (Karela) juice on an empty stomach each morning. First, remove the seeds of two to three bitter gourds and use a juicer to extract the juice. Add some water and then drink it. The Indian variety is much smaller and pointier, it differs from the Chinese which is longer and smoother as shown in the image above.

To drink on a regular basis you must have grown up with and accustomed to regularly consuming the bitter gourd/melons juice. Bitter Melon Juice honours its name by absolute bitterness, it is for the initiated to drink without qualms and a taste exploration for beginners to learn to appreciate its medicinal values and flavour.The juice of one medium size Chinese variety bitter melon will yield around 200-250ml and that is more than enough to start the day or adding a new dietary regimen to your lifestyle.

For the healthy nutritional benefits, cleansing, diabetic and inflammatory properties half the amount will be more than sufficient. Please consult your doctor or dietitian for diabetic advice.

Bitter Melon Juice with Honey and Lemon

In south-east Asia, every region has its own dishes and recipes and most likely if you travel around you must have seen or already eaten this vegetable. Drinking the juice or in mixed drinks is something I have been experimenting with various fruits and vegetables to find the best Bitter melon juice recipes to enjoy.

Bitter gourd is a rich source of vitamin C. Vitamin C protects your cells from free radicals, harmful agents involved in cancer development, cardiovascular disease and ageing. It also benefits your immune system, keeps your tissues strong by facilitating collagen production and helps you absorb iron from your diet. A cup of bitter gourd contains 78 milligrammes of vitamin C. This provides the entire daily recommended intake of vitamin C for women and 87 percent of the RDA for men.

: Cut in halve, remove seed & pith

: Cut in cubes or slices

: Soak with salt or lemon juice

: juicing machine extraction

How to buy and prepare

When you buy, do select bitter gourds that are unripe and firm as the ripened ones are extremely bitter. They should have a solid, light green colour, without any signs of yellow or orange colour on the skin or blemishes.
It is said to reduce the bitterness, you can soak the chopped pieces for about 30 minutes in a bowl of water with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt or juice from half/whole lemon. Next, to soaking you could parboil the slices or chunks, a method I prefer when cooking.
Rule of Thumb balancing food flavours: “bitter taste pairs with sweet, salty or sour flavours”.

Bitter Melon Juice recipes

Five best Bitter Melon Juice recipes

Scroll down for recipe Bitter Melon Juice with ginger, honey and lemon juice or click on the links for other recipes.

Bitter Melon Pineapple, Guava Juice

May 23, 2014RongHua ChingJuices & Smoothie'sbitter gourd, bitter melon, fruit juicing machine, guava, healthy drinks, healthy juice, juice, mango, papaya, pineapple, Tropical fruit

Bitter Melon Pineapple, Guava juice image will be added soon, run out of bitter melons 🙂

[recipe]

Bitter Melon Avocado Smoothie

May 23, 2014RongHua ChingJuices & Smoothie'sAvocado, bitter gourd, bitter melon, green smoothie, health, juice, juicing, shiracha sauce, smoothie

Bitter Melon Avocado smoothie image will be added soon, run out of bitter melons 🙂

[recipe]

Bitter Melon Juice with Chaat Masala

May 23, 2014RongHua ChingJuices & Smoothie'sbitter melon, chaat masala, healthy drink, indian, juicing, seasoning, tanginess, tangy flavor

Bitter Melon Juice with Chaat Masala Image will be added soon, run out of bitter melons 🙂

[recipe]

Bitter Melon Beetroot Juice

May 23, 2014RongHua ChingJuices & Smoothie'sbeetroot, bitter, bitter gourd, bitter melon, carrot, ginger, health drink, juice, sharp, sweet

Bitter Melon Beetroot Juice image will be added soon, run out of bitter melons 🙂

[recipe]

Bitter gourd stir fry egg mix preserved & salted

May 21, 2014RongHua ChingFoodAsian cuisines, bitter gourd, bitter melon, bitter squash, bitter taste, cleansing, detox, detoxifies, diabetics, egg, health juice, healthy drinks, immune system, nutrients, preserved eggs, salted eggs, soups, south-east Asia, stir-fry, sugar level, vitamins

Bitter gourd is very popular vegetable throughout South-East Asian cuisines, you will find this Asian vegetable in soups, stews, stir-fry dishes and healthy juice drinks. Bitter gourd aka Bitter Melon (or Bitter squash) is now widely available in Asian supermarkets and shops.

This uneven textured green vegetable is good for one’s health. Drinking bitter gourd juice is a great way to detox your body, while regularly eating bitter gourd as a part of your daily diet is known to prevent skin ailments and aids a glowing skin. It contains a lots of vitamins ad nutrients and is especially highly beneficial for diabetics for lowering down their blood sugar levels. The bitter taste boosts the immune system and while there is no accounting for taste, you are definitely into Asian food if you serve, cook and eat Bitter gourd often.

Cut in halve, remove seed & pith

Cleaning Bitter Gourd

The secret of appreciating bitter gourd is to make sure you clean the bitter gourd well;

Slice the gourd in half and scrape out all the seeds with membranes and pith (white sponge), leaving only a thin layer of white 2-3mm to the green skin of the bitter gourd and cut in thin slices.
Or cut cylindrical and carefully clean by hollowing and removing the insides out for stuffing and further preparation.
Parboil the remaining flesh (especially with larger cuts) to mellow its strong flavor for a few minutes only, then prepare for casseroles, stir-fries, stews or soups.

With young and smaller bitter gourds I skip parboiling but make sure I clean them well and season during stir-frying, to ensure that bitterness turns into a pleasant flavor adding to the final dish.

$Salted Duck eggs, Chicken eggs, Preserved eggs \.jpg.jpeg$

From left to right: Salted Duck eggs, Chicken eggs, Preserved eggs

Various eggs

Century eggs 皮蛋 pídàn is a Chinese delicacy, preserved duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice hulls. The traditional method of processing time depends on the method and may take several week up to several months. At present a simplified approach of soaking the eggs in a chemical bath for 10 days speeds up the aging process while wrapped in plastic. We buy both interchanging century eggs wrapped in rice hulls or in plastic packs for convenience, it can be cooked and often used in cold dishes as salads too.
Salted duck eggs 咸鸭蛋 xián yā dàn or 咸蛋 xián dàn (salted eggs) is another typical Chinese food preserve made by soaking the duck eggs in brine or in damp salted charcoal. You do not see them often anymore, eggs covered in a thick layer of salted charcoal paste, mostly they are wrapped in plastic containers or vacuum packed. We often eat them as a side dish with congee (rice porridge) or as an ingredient in baking, rice dumplings or stir-fry dishes. You need to cook salted duck eggs before further preparation in cooking or baking.
Eggs are a common staple food and one of the most versatile ingredients used in cooking. The most commonly used bird eggs are chicken, duck, goose. In more refined gourmet dishes the two opposites in egg sizes, quail eggs or ostrich eggs may be used.

Bitter gourd stir fry egg mix preserved & salted

While stir fried bitter gourd with eggs is a common dish found in many local South-East Asian cuisines, the origin of this dish is infused by leftover rather than a particular native dish since we have eaten many bitter gourd egg stir fry versions. The ingredients are more or less the same the used seasonings may differ by locality and cook. A simpler version will be linked here soon.

Sliced bitter gourd, three eggs mix and chopped garlic

Scroll down for this recipe as shown in the image.

Note: a word of caution while bitter gourd is highly nutritious, the vegetable should not be eaten or given to allergy sufferers, pregnant women and young children:

If you happen to be allergic for melons such as honeydew and cantaloupe (cucurbitaceae plants aka gourd family) you better avoid preparing or eating bitter melon.
For pregnant women the vegetable contains laxative component which may cause premature contraction and lead to miscarriages. Contact your doctor first.
For very young children, since the plant insulin is very effective in keeping blood sugar levels down it might cause the child sugar levels to drop.
For diabetes, you can add bitter melon to your diet but MUST check you blood sugar level and consult your doctor if in treatment with sugar medication, because bitter melon can cause your blood sugar levels fall dramatically if consumed too excessively.

[recipe]