Bitter but Healthy: Stir Fried Bitter Gourd

Do you eat food for its taste, health, or you don't really care? Hmm, I now wonder myself. I love food, delicious ones. Bitter gourd was not one of my favourite, I couldn't stand the bitterness. Mum cooks it sometimes... and make fresh bitter gourd juice for my dad occassionally. I learned to like it a little. Not those very, very bitter ones tho :-P

Being a popular health choice for many, so it has grown to have a unique popularity in home menus, be it for fun or health. It is known to reduce high blood pressure, body heat, high sugar level and more, check out Juice For Health to read a little bit more on various health conditions that bitter melon may help improve.

My favourite way of eating this is deep fried - an Indian recipe where the melon is thinly sliced, mixed in a spiced flour and deep fried till crispy. It is so delicious... though the deep frying and oil is rather unhealthy if consumed too much.

My mum would stir fry with some meat or with egg, which makes it a healthier way to eat. I found a similar recipe online to the one mum usually cooks at Kuali online, check it out here. Below is the recipe from Kuali too, with only difference in my mum's recipe is, she does not use sesame oil and add thickening. Besides beef, she loves to use chicken or prawns too.

Ingredients
1 medium-sized bittergourd
200g beef tenderloin fillet
A little soy sauce
½ tsp cornflour
1 tsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp oil
A little sesame oil
½ cup water

(A) Sauce ingredients:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tsp sugar
Pinch of pepper

Thickening (combine):
¾ tsp corn flour
1½ tbsp water

Method
Cut bittergourd lengthwise and remove the seeds. Slice thinly. Rub with a little salt till limp and wash. Season beef with a little soy sauce and add in the cornflour.

Heat 1½ tbsp oil in a wok and fry garlic until lightly golden and fragrant. Put in bittergourd and fry till soft. Add water and cover. Allow to cook at a simmering boil for two to three minutes. Remove and set aside.

Heat remaining oil and sesame oil. Put in marinated beef and (A). Fry till just cooked. Return the bittergourd to the wok and stir-fry briskly to combine. Add thickening and dish out. Serve immediately.
(Taken from Kuali)

Sounds very simple and yet very healthy. We love to eat it on its own, or with rice :-)