Bitterness of Bitter Gourd
Bitter gourd or bitter melon is very healthy vegetable but most of the people do not like it because of its bitterness so here we are with some tips to reduce the bitterness.
14 Easy Tips to Remove the Bitterness from Bitter Gourd
- The simplest and the most popular way is to marinate the slices with lots of salt to bitter gourds after chopping and leave them for 30 mins, Later squeeze out the juice drawn due to osmosis. After wash them and cook. They will not taste bitter any more. You can also parboil to make them soft if you like.
- Remove the big seeds before cooking.
- Scrape the rugged surface smooth. This reduces the bitterness.
- Dehydration and deep-frying works like a charm.
- Adding some jaggery (Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in Asia and Africa) or sugar to the bitter gourd dish in the last stage of cooking will also cut its bitterness.
- Chop into small pieces and remove the seeds. Put in olive oil. You can add garlic or onions to the oil if you like the taste to counteract the bitter taste.
- Cut bitter gourd into pieces, rinse and soak in tamarind juice for 30 minutes. However, remember that this can make it soggy.
- Boil bitter gourd for 2-3 minutes before use. Add salt to boiling water. After boiling, drop it in cold water for a while.
- This method is the most appropriate for a stir fry recipe. Slice bitter gourd into thin pieces. The thinner the slices, is the better. Scrape off all the seeds and leave for 10 minutes. Now, squeeze out all the juice and rinse. Fry them until they are light brown.
- Another way is by adding a sweet or neutral tasting ingredient to your dish like sugar, potatoes and cheese. You can add a bit of jaggery while preparing the dish if you like your bitter gourd candied.
- For non-vegetarian dishes, sauté your bitter gourd pieces in turmeric powder, salt, onions in sesame oil and then add the meat.
- Boil equal parts of sugar and vinegar. Pour this mixture on bitter gourd.
- You can also soak bitter gourd pieces in diluted yogurt for at least an hour before use.
- Cook the bitter gourd in combination with another neutralizing vegetable such as potatoes and onions.
How to Buy a Bitter Gourd?
Most of the above tips demand getting rid of the seeds as they are the major contributors to the taste. When you are out grocery shopping the next time,
Choosing Bitter Gourd:
Most of the above tips demand getting rid of the seeds as they are the major contributors to the taste. Here you can find a way by buying the right variety of bitter gourds. Following tips can help you select less bitter and good bitter gourds.
- When you go to buy bitter gourd try selecting the light green ones because dark green bitter gourd is bitterer in taste and light green is less bitter.
- Make sure that you buy young, new and fresh bitter gourds that are light green because the more mature the seeds get, the bitter the taste of bitter gourd becomes.
- Immature bitter gourds have white colored seeds while the mature ones have yellow. Also, they should be blemish free.
- The Taiwan variety is mildly bitter but the Indian type has a strong taste.
- Some people also prefer smoothing out the rough shell of bitter gourd with a scraping knife.
- While buying bitter gourds look for those that have shallow lines and are wider apart. They indicate the ripeness of the bitter gourd.
Health Benefits Of Bitter Gourds
Bitter gourds are a major part of Asian cuisines. They go well with onions, potatoes, tomatoes, beef, strong spices and sauces.
The high nutrition content of bitter gourd makes it rich in folate, zinc, vitamin c, vitamin b, niacin, magnesium and anti-oxidants. They have following benefits:
- Digestive Problems
- Infections
- Heart Problems
- Diabetes
- Anti Cancer
- Treats Defective Neural Tubes
- Detoxifies
- Skin Benefits
- Anti-aging benefits
- Skin Infections
- Treats Acne
- Regulates Blood Flow
- Improves Hair Health
- Treats Acne and Skin Infections
Consuming Bitter Gourd or Bitter Melon can help to get rid of acne, blemishes and deep skin infections.
Remedy for Acne Treatment:
- Apply bitter gourd juice on the acne area or on whole face. This will not only help your get rid of acne problem but it will also brighten your skin.
- Use bitter gourd juice for at least two months and you will get rid of acne.
Note:
- If you plan to drink bitter gourd juice, mix it with apple juice and honey.
- If you suddenly find yourself become a bitter gourd maniac after using any of these tips, do not eat in large quantities as it can lead to toxicity in the blood due to high alkaline level. If you are serving a diabetic patient, do not scrape off the seeds as they contain momordicin that controls blood sugar level.
- When you are trying to reduce the bitterness of bitter gourd, the vegetable may also lose its nutrient content too. So you should be careful while practicing any of the above tips. Go ahead and have bitter gourd, it purifies blood and gives you an amazing skin with the additional benefit of fat loss.