For a superfood full of medicinal benefits, you would expect bitter gourd to be the somewhat crowd favorite when it comes to vegetables. Or even among the favorite ones, alongside potato, carrot, broccoli, and tomato. But no, as it turns out, bitter gourd is among the more infamous ones. Why? Well, the answer lies in the name itself. Bitter. This superfood’s taste has turned off a lot of people.
Fortunately, creative foodies and chefs have come out with a couple of recipes that are sure to spice up your dinner. At the same time, these dishes will also introduce bitter gourd in an entirely different light to your palette.
Stuffed Bitter Gourd with Cheese
A universal favorite, cheese is something that almost everyone wants or craves. Now, add that to one of the most infamous vegetables in existence and you got yourself an unlikely duo. The apparent desirability of cheese cancels out the hesitation of some people to eat the incredibly bitter, well, bitter gourd.
Check out the recipe here.
Sautéed Bitter Gourd
A staple of eateries in the Philippines, sautéed bitter gourd (ginisang ampalaya) is an easy to prepare dish whose primary ingredients include bitter gourd slices and 2 raw eggs. Before trying this out, you need to soak the bitter gourd slices in water for a few hours and then squeeze some of its juices. Depending on the way and intensity of how you squeeze the bitter gourd, some of the nutrients might be potentially lost. However, the good thing about this is that some of the bitter taste will be gone.
Check out the recipe here.
Bitter Gourd con Carne
Probably the most well-known Filipino bitter gourd recipe and the tastiest, too. The presence of the sirloin meat is a nice counterbalance to the bitter taste. Some Filipinos prefer to cook this without blanching the bitter gourd to retain the nutrients of the superfood. Instead, they pick the youngest and greenest bitter gourds, the more mature a gourd is, the bitterer it is.
Check out the recipe here.
Bitter Gourd Salad
In the Philippines, the term “ensalada” usually means a mixture of several healthy ingredients such as vegetables and fruits. For the most part, Filipinos use greens such as lettuce and cabbage, and fruits and vegetables with bright colors (red, orange, or yellow) to accentuate the texture and look of the salad. In this recipe, however, the star of the show is the nondescript and hated bitter gourd.
Check out the recipe here.
Beef Bitter Gourd
A classier and more expensive version of the Bitter Gourd con Carne, this dish meanwhile uses beef as the protein of choice.
Check out the recipe here.
Pork and Bitter Gourd with Oyster Sauce
This dish can be made using other proteins such as beef and chicken, depending on your preference. It is basically the same as the Bitter Gourd con Carne save for a few variations in the procedure and the addition of the oyster sauce.
Check out the recipe here.
Sweet Corn and Bitter Gourd Leaves
A traditional Filipino soup that usually use the local corn variety, for this dish, sweet corn is used instead to counter the bitterness of the gourd leaves. The leaves of the bitter gourd are a good source of Vitamin A.
Check out the recipe here.
Stir-fried Bitter Gourd and Pork Sirloin (Bistek)
A dish that was conceived using leftovers bistek (Tagalog Beef Steak), this dish can be done using pork sirloin marinated with vinegar and soy sauce is you don’t have leftover bistek.
Check out the recipe here.
Bitter Gourd (Hagala Kai) Chutney
A traditional dish from the state of Karnataka in Southwest India, Hagala Kai Chutney is prepared using bitter gourd, red chili, coconut, and turmeric. This goes well with rice or pancakes and doesn’t taste bitter at all.
Check out the recipe here.
Chicken with Bitter Gourd in Oyster Sauce
A relatively quick and easy dish that you can cook to entice other people, particularly children, to try eating bitter gourd, you can substitute chicken with wheat gluten if you’re cooking for a vegetarian crowd.
Check out the recipe here.
A Dose of Creativity
While the bitter gourd’s signature taste is something that other people crave, the majority prefers something that is not that bitter. These dishes, while not totally eradicating the bitter taste, make the bitter gourd bearable and easier to eat. This superfood might be overflowing with nutrients but you need to consume it first to enjoy the health benefits of this wonder herb.
