Turn your bitter melon fruit into a deliciously tasty side dish. Air-fry your bitter melon. Create a delicious side dish to go as part of your healthy meal. Easy bitter melon Recipe.
Despite its bitter flavour, many love the health benefits this fruit offers. Steal the nutrients to look better and to feel younger.
Did you know this food is a fruit and not a vegetable? All my life I’ve been thinking this is a bitter veggie but according to the wiki, this is a tropical fruit.
So forgive me if I have mistakenly mentioned it as a veggie and not as fruit. I am still tryna digest that bitter melons are, in fact, fruit.
Just as its name, this fruit has a strong bitter flavour that leaves a dry after-taste in your mouth.
Unless this fruit is part of your daily diet growing up, it will take some time to get used to its flavour.
Don’t be discouraged by the bitterness, the bitter melons can be enjoyed both raw and cooked.
The flavours can be altered by air-fry the bitter melon, baking, pan-frying, steaming or stuffing the insides with your choice of fillings.
bitter melon benefits & side effects
Despite its bitter flavour, a study shows, this fruit is considered to have medicinal properties to control and treat diabetics, anti-cancer efficacy against leukemia, colon, bladder, breast, skin and a few other cancer types, and treat cardiovascular complications due to obesity.
Bitter melon is also used for treating other health benefits such as kidney stones, piles, contraceptives, reducing blood glucose levels, etc.
Adding bitter melon juice to your diet can help you recover from general illnesses much faster as well as help protect you from potential infections and germs.
When consuming this fruit in moderation, you can definitely enjoy its healthy perks. However, consuming a high amount may lead to potential side effects.
A selected few may experience headaches, dizziness, stomach pain, and bloatedness with bitter melons.
The contents of this website are for educational purposes only and not intended to offer personal, medical or nutritional advice. Individuals with underlying health problems should seek personal health advice from qualified health care physicians.
More studies need to be conducted on this fruit’s use and the benefits of its medicinal aspect but for now, it is a commonly used fruit in most Asian households.
It’s known by different names from different parts of the world but from where I came from, we Sri Lankans, call it either Pavakka in Tamil or Karavila in Sinhalese.
Most recognizes this fruit by the name bitter melon or bitter gourd and most commonly it’s the Indian bitter melons or the Chinese variety that we use in our households.
The Chinese bitter melon resembles the size and shape of a cucumber. It has thick skin with a pale greener outer layer. The skin is not as smooth as a cucumber but has a wavy bumpy feel while the insides are soft white flesh surrounding the seeds.
Growing up in Sri Lanka, we often always bring home the fresh Indian bitter melons to add as part of our daily meal. It’s much more bitter than the Chinese variety and it has a darker green, spiky thick outer layer, while the insides are white with seeds.Â
When this type of fruit gets ripped, you can tell by the yellowish colour from its skin. The insides will turn an orangy-yellow-reddish colour with a slimy texture around the seeds.
Can it be eaten raw?
If this is your first time, it is difficult to consume raw due to the unpleasant bitter flavour. However, some like to take advantage of its health benefits by freshly made juice with added veggies and fruits to reduce the bitterness.
I like to air-fry the bitter melon.
bitter melon recipes for vegans
Turn your bitter melons into zesty spicy flavourful sambal. Takes less than 30 minutes and you got yourself a delicious vegan side dish for your rice and curry meal.
Most dislike this veggie due to its bitter flavour but learning its health benefits you can easily offset its bitterness to taste better and more enjoyable.Â
bitter melon recipes for weight loss
As mentioned above, bitter melons have many impressive health benefits we can take advantage of.
It’s low in calories but rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and fibre. As it contains a good source of nutrition, a study shows, this veggie makes an excellent addition to the weight loss diet.
Although more accurate studies need to be conducted for a better understanding, a study has been proved that a high dose of bitter melon extract may help reduce belly and body weight in humans and animals.
bitter gourd vegetarian recipe
To use this fruit in a vegetarian recipe, first, you gotta clean and prep the fruit.
Wash it first, then slice it into circles or cut it straight to split it into two pieces lengthwise then slice it into semi-circles.
Do not peel, as the outer layer is edible. Discard the two ends along with the seeds and flesh you find inside.
Throw in the sliced bitter melons into a clean bowl, add turmeric powder, oil and salt to combine the spices onto the fruit.
Then air-fry until it is turned to a crisp. While I choose to fry until it is turned into a dark crisp, others may prefer it to be lightly done. So that it’s somewhat still green and also fried well on the edges.
In the meantime, thinly chop onions lengthwise, dice riped tomatoes, and slice thai green chilli peppers.Â
When the air-fried bitter melons are ready, mix in the above-chopped ingredients as well as milk, salt, lime and chilli powder for flavour.
I usually reach for the 2% milk to create this dish. For a plant-based diet, I suggest substituting it with coconut milk.
Combine all ingredients but do not use a spoon, do mix with your dominant hand.
Why use your hand?
With the strength of your fingers and the movement of your wrist, you can do more than just one action. Squeeze, pinch, punch, mix and do so much more.Â
To make this recipe, use your dominant hand to squish the tomatoes. Squeeze the juices and mix to combine the rest of the ingredients. You do not need to handle it with care. Make sure the bitter melons are also crushed and mixed to infuse the juices.
When you use your hands to eat or to cook, notice all your senses will come alive. Sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing, can help create your food to satisfy your cravings.
The ingredients don’t mix well when a spoon is involved. Give it a try and use your hand and you will notice the difference.
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Air-fry Bitter Melon | Easy Recipe & Its Health Benefits
Air-fry your bitter melons. Create a delicious side dish to go as part of your healthy meal. Easy bitter melon Recipe.
Ingredients
To Air-Fry
- 1/2 tsp Cooking oil of your choice.
- 2-3 Bitter melons
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Chili powder -optional (Kashmir brand)
Other Ingredients
- 1/2 Small Onion Chopped lengthwise
- 2 Green chili pepper Thai chili
- 1/2 Small Tomato Diced
- Air-fried bitter melons
- 1 tsp Chili powder Kashmiri brand
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Lime Juice
- 1/2 tsp Red chili flakes
- 1/4 Cup Milk 2% or Coconut milk
Instructions
-
Start by prepping the bitter melons first. Wash, dry, then cut it lengthwise in half.
-
Remove seeds and the white flesh from inside and discard it along with both ends.
-
Slice the bitter melons into thin semi-circles.
To reduce bitterness -optional
-
Add the sliced bitter melons into a clean bowl with a tsp of salt and water as needed. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes.
To air-fry
-
Combine the sliced bitter melons with cooking oil of your choice, turmeric powder, salt, and chilli powder. Mix well to coat the slices on both sides.
-
Place the seasoned bitter melons inside the air fryer basket. Set to air-fry at 375'F for 10-12 minutes or until it turns crispy.
-
When done, set it aside for a minute to cool down.
-
Combine the air-fried bitter melons with chopped onions, sliced green chilli peppers, diced tomatoes. Then season it with chilli powder, chilli flakes, milk, salt and lime to taste.
Lookin’ for more flavorful Sri Lankan recipes?
Take a quick look at the recipe collection HERE.
Choose recipes from snacks & appetizers, curries & sides, sweets & dessertsto meals & more.
Find ways to create delicious meals to satisfy your food cravings.
Ways to serve
This side dish is best paired with your choice of rice. I prefer adding a few more sides to complete a rice and curry meal.
To name a few other curries and veggies that go well together with bitter melons are…
Final Word,
It was new to learn that bitter melons aren’t a vegetable. However, the fruit has been used for culinary purposes as well as for medicinal uses for centuries.
Bitter melons are low in calories but are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre to help with weight loss.
That’s not all it could do. Besides these few benefits mentioned above, adding bitter melons in your diet can also fight off skin infections. Help heal wounds faster and most importantly helps with a better night’s sleep.
Although bitter melon has a unique appearance and a strong flavour for some of us to stay away from, it’s the nutrition that shines out loud. This is why most of us don’t mind it being part of our daily diet.
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