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| Bitter melon Curry - Balsam pear |
Surprisingly you can make delicious curry out of this bitter tasting and ugly looking bitter melon or balsam pear.It is very simple and easy to prepare.I mixed longer variety and shorter variety of bitter melon in equal proportions deliberately to prove my point that you can make a delicious dish regardless of the variety of bitter melon. Shorter variety is more bitter than the long variety.
Recipe summary
For
Bitter melon Curry - Balsam pear
Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
serves: 4
1. In a small bowl add 200 grams bitter melon cut into ¼ inch slices and sprinkle 1 tea spoon of salt and leave it for about an hour. After one hour, squeeze out the water from the bitter melon and rinse off the excess salt. Squeeze out the excess water and dry the pieces in a kitchen towel or paper towel. This process will
reduce the bitterness greatly.Some soak in coconut water (not the milk but the sap within the kernel. I prefer to use salt because it draws out the water from the vegetable resulting in shorter frying time.
2. Heat 1 cup vegetable oil to fry in a wok or frying pan. When the oil is hot add the bitter melon pieces and fry. In a couple of seconds lower the heat and fry for about 17 minutes until the pieces become slightly brown. It need not be crispy as in the case of fried biter melon salad.
3. After the deep frying, drain out the oil and leave the bitter melon pieces in a paper towel to remove excess fat.
3. In a saucepan or wok heat a tablespoon of oil and add 2 dried chillies and fry for 2 or 3 seconds.
4.Then add 3 cloves garlic sliced, 1 onion chopped finely, 1 green chilly seeded and chopped finely and continue frying in low heat for 10 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
5. Add 2 cups water, fried bitter melon pieces, 30 grams tamarind juice and 1 ½ teaspoon curry powder, ½ tea spoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and boil covered for 10 minutes.
5. Add 3 table spoon coconut milk and switch off the heat.
Bitter melon Curry - Balsam pear is ready.
For
Bitter melon Curry - Balsam pear
Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
serves: 4
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| Bitter melon |
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| Ingredients |
2. Heat 1 cup vegetable oil to fry in a wok or frying pan. When the oil is hot add the bitter melon pieces and fry. In a couple of seconds lower the heat and fry for about 17 minutes until the pieces become slightly brown. It need not be crispy as in the case of fried biter melon salad.
3. After the deep frying, drain out the oil and leave the bitter melon pieces in a paper towel to remove excess fat.
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| Bitter melon Curry |
3. In a saucepan or wok heat a tablespoon of oil and add 2 dried chillies and fry for 2 or 3 seconds.
4.Then add 3 cloves garlic sliced, 1 onion chopped finely, 1 green chilly seeded and chopped finely and continue frying in low heat for 10 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
5. Add 2 cups water, fried bitter melon pieces, 30 grams tamarind juice and 1 ½ teaspoon curry powder, ½ tea spoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and boil covered for 10 minutes.
5. Add 3 table spoon coconut milk and switch off the heat.
Bitter melon Curry - Balsam pear is ready.
Recipe follows in detail with pictures.
Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
serves: 4
Ingredients:
Main
200 grams bitter melon sliced horizontally into ¼ thick pieces
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| Longer variety Bitter melon sliced |
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| Short variety bitter melon |
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| Longer variety bitter melon fried |
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| Sorter variety bitter melon fried |
1 cup vegetable oil to fry
1 onion chopped finely
3 cloves garlic sliced
2 dried chilli
1 green chilly seeded and chopped finely.
3 tablespoon of coconut milk
1½ tea spoon of salt
30 grams tamarind - juice extracted
2 cups water
Spices
1 ½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
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| Ingredients for Bitter melon Curry - Balsam pear |
Method
1. In a small bowl add the bitter melon slices and sprinkle 1 tea spoon of salt and leave it for about an hour. After one hour, squeeze out the water from the bitter melon and rinse off the excess salt. Squeeze out the excess water and dry the pieces in a kitchen towel or paper towel. This process will reduce the bitterness greatly.Some soak in coconut water (not the milk but the sap within the kernel. I prefer to use salt because it draws out the water from the vegetable resulting in shorter frying time.
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| Ingredients added to be cooked |
2. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan. When the oil is hot add the bitter melon pieces and fry. In a couple of seconds lower the heat and fry for about 17 minutes until the pieces become slightly brown. It need not be crispy as in the case of fried biter melon salad
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| Curry is getting ready |
Tip. When you put the vegetables in very hot oil, it seals the pores on the surface of the vegetable. After this initial searing, the vegetable will absorb less oil during the frying process.
There is a risk of oil splattering and therefore you must always use a splatter guard / cover.
Immediately after this initial searing you must reduce the heat quickly, otherwise the outside of the vegetable will be overcooked and the inside will be under cooked. If you want something to be evenly fried you should do it in low heat.If you want crusty on the outside and juicy on the inside you may use medium heat.
3. After the deep frying, drain out the oil and leave the bitter melon pieces in a paper towel to remove excess fat.
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| Curry being cooked |
3. In a saucepan or wok heat a tablespoon of oil and add the dry chilies and fry for 2 or 3 second. Then add the garlic pieces, onion, chopped green chilli and continue frying in low heat for 10 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
4. Add water, fired bitter melon pieces, tamarind juice and curry powder, salt and boil covered for 10 minutes.
5. Add coconut milk and switch off the heat.
Bitter melon curry is ready.
It can be served with rice or bread. It will be surprisingly pleasant.
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