Have you ever had bitter melon? It’s a member of the Cucurbitaceae family along with cucumbers and melons. It grows well in tropical and subtropical climates so it’s no surprise that it thrives during our summer growing season. This is the first year the farm tried growing it and it has done incredibly well! Since I had to harvest a couple during work for a photo last week, I figured I might as well bring them home to experiment.
I love their bumpy, warty appearance! The darker green one had tinges of bluish-green, making it even lovelier in person than in the photos. The bitter melons and their foliage have a distinctly nutty smell, sort of similar to moringa leaves. I ended up doing quite a bit of research to see how bitter melon is cooked all over the world. I narrowed it down to either a Vietnamese bitter melon soup recommended by my friend or a Northern Indian stir-fry with a bit of yogurt to offset the bitterness.
I ended up going with an Indian-inspired dish since I can’t bring myself to eat soup when it’s 95+ degrees outside. Several recipes recommended salting the bitter melon to draw out some of the bitterness. I decided to taste a piece raw and felt it didn’t need this extra step. I have a feeling it’s because these bitter melons had just been harvested and were relatively young thus hadn’t had the chance to develop a lot of the characteristic bitterness. I was pleasantly surprised how much I loved this dish because I tend to be picky when it comes to bitter tastes. Scroll down for the recipe and let me know in the comments if you grew up eating bitter melon!
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Bitter Melon Stir Fry with Caramelized Shallots & Tangy Yogurt Drizzle
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 small servings 1x
Description
The bitter taste of bitter melon mellows out thanks to the addition of spices, shallots, and a drizzle of tangy and savory lemon yogurt.
Ingredients
- 2 small or 1 large bitter melon
- sea salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- pinch of red chili flakes
- heaped 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- pinch of sugar
- 1/3 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
- the juice of 1/2 of a small lemon (about 2-3 tsp)
Instructions
Slice your bitter melon in half lengthwise then scoop out and discard the seeds/pulp in the center cavity. Cut the bitter melon into roughly 1/4-inch slices. Taste a small piece of the bitter melon. If it is extremely bitter, place it in a colander, sprinkle with a good pinch of salt, and toss to coat. Let it sit for 30 minutes then rinse the salt off and pat the bitter melon dry before proceeding with the recipe. If the bitter melon is palatable and not too bitter, skip this step!
Heat the coconut oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add the shallot and a small pinch of salt and cook, stirring regularly, until it begins to caramelize and turn golden. Add the ginger, garlic, chili flakes, and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute. Then, add the bitter melon, a pinch more salt, a pinch of sugar, and a splash of water. Cook, stirring regularly, until the bitter melon is soft and tender. This will take about 8-10 minutes.
Remove the bitter melon from the heat and set it aside. Add the yogurt and lemon juice to a small bowl along with a small pinch of salt and whisk until smooth. You want the yogurt to be a drizzling consistency so if it seems thick, add a splash or two of water. When you’re ready to eat, serve the bitter melon with a drizzle of the yogurt sauce.
Notes
This makes enough for 1 large or 2 small servings. I ended up getting 2 meals out of it serving it alongside rice and sauteed amaranth greens. I used a vegan coconut-based yogurt but but feel free to use one that you like.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
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