Stuffed Bitter Melon
I came up with this recipe one day when I was making Shanghai-style soup dumplings xiao long bao for my children and wanted a low-carb alternative for myself. The result is a nourishing high-protein low-carb superfood dish.
What is Bitter Gourd?
Bitter melon, Momordica charantia in Latin, goes by many names such as bitter gourd or balsamic apple. It is a sub-tropical vine gourd that is widely eaten throughout South East Asia and India, where is known as karela. Bitter gourds are widely available in Asian stores in larger cities.
Bitter Melon Health Benefits
Bitter gourd has long been known for its' health benefits in Asia where it is traditionally used to improve diabetes and lower cholesterol. In Okinawa, Japan, bitter melon is called Goya, and has been identified as a key ingredient in a diet that is associated with the local population’s exceptional longevity.
Amazingly, bitter melon contains twice the calcium of spinach, the beta-carotene of broccoli, and the potassium of a banana! The little gourd is packed with iron, magnesium, and vitamin C. Bitter melon is an excellent source of dietary fibre. Recently, bitter gourd has been gaining attention in the Western world, where it is being hailed as a new superfood, increasing numbers of people are drinking bitter gourd juice to get its benefits but I prefer it cooked with tofu and eggs or stuffed and steamed like this recipe for bitter gourd.
Stuffed Bitter Gourd
Ingredients
Serves 2
2 large or 5 small bitter gourds
Salt for preparation
250g ground/minced pork
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
A pinch of ground white pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced
A thumb of ginger, minced
Method
Cut the bitter gourds into rounds or lengthways into boats. Scrape out the seeds and white fibres. I use a grapefruit spoon for this. This is a relatively inexpensive little spoon with serrated edges that was traditionally used to eat grapefruits for breakfast in more formal households. I rarely use them for grapefruits but they are perfect for scraping out all sorts of vegetables.
Scrape the seeds and white fibres from the inside of the bitter gourd
Transfer the prepared bitter gourd to a colander and cover generously with salt. The salt will draw out some of the bitter juices from the gourd.
Scrape the seeds and white fibres from the inside of the bitter gourd
Meanwhile prepare the meat filling by combining the pork mince, garlic, ginger, rice. wine, soy sauce and sesame oil. Make sure you combine the stuffing ingredients very well. In Asia, they use chopsticks to do this which works better than a fork in my experience.
Rinse the salt from the bitter gourd and pat dry. Using the grapefruit spoon or a small teaspoon, tightly stuff the meat mixture into each gourd.
Place on a solid tray (to catch the juice) in a steam oven for 10 minutes. I use the Miele steam oven. Alternatively, steam over a stovetop for 10-15 minutes. Serve with rice and the steaming juices. Optionally, you could garnish with some coriander and a couple more drops of sesame seeds.
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