Healthy and Easy Bitter Melon Recipes

Bitter melon (Bitter gourd) is not an unfamiliar vegetable to us. It is also known as karela and pavakka. The botanical name of this vegetable is Momordica charantia. It contains excellent therapeutic qualities. It is mostly found in tropical parts of the world, including Africa, Asia and South America.

We all know that Bitter Melon has many health benefits. That is the reason people are using it as vegetable in many countries. Some of the health benefits are - it helps to lower the blood sugar level in diabetic patients, helpful for people suffering from piles, works wonders as a blood purifier, helpful in psoriasis etc. They are rich in rich in potassium, calcium, iron, beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B3 and C. It is also rich in iron, bitter melon has twice the beta carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, twice the potassium of bananas.

I would like to share with you some simple recipes which I prepare frequently at home.

Pavakka Fry Recipe.

Items required:

1. Bitter melon - 2 Nos
2. Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp.
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
4. Salt - 1 tsp. (or as per your taste)
5. Oil - 2 table spoons
6. Coconut pieces - 1 table spoon (optional)

Methods of Preparation

• Select good varieties of two bitter melon and wash them.
• Cut them into thin round pieces. (No need to remove the seeds, but if you don't like the seeds you can remove them. )
• Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. If you are using coconut pieces add that also. Mix it well using your hand.
• Keep a cooking pan on the stove and add 2 tb.spoons of cooking oil.
• Cook the bitter melon (pavakka) mixture in the oil first on high flame for about 2 minutes, and then stir it and cook for another 2 minutes in high flame.
• Now slow down the flame and let it cook for about 20-25 minutes without adding water. Keep stirring every 2 minutes so that it won't get burnt at the bottom.
• If necessary add 1/2 table spoon of oil, and keep stirring.
• Once it turns into light brown color you can remove from the stove.

It is a healthy and easy recipe and very tasty to eat with rice.

Items required:

1. Bitter melon - 2 Nos
2. Salt - 1 tsp. (or as per your taste)
3. Thick Curds - 1/2 cup
4. Oil - 2 table spoons

Method of Preparation

• Cut the bitter gourd into thin round pieces.
• Keep a bowl with 1/2 cup of water and boil it.
• Add the bitter gourd pieces into it and switch off the stove. Cover it up for 5 minutes and stir it once, so that the top portion also gets cooked. Then cover it up again for another 5 minutes.
• Remove the bitter melon pieces from the cooked water and dip them in the curds.
• Dry the bitter melon pieces smeared with curds in the sun, placing them on a paper.
• Once they are dried well you can store and keep in an air tight container.
• This can be used as chips by frying them in 1 tbsp. oil as and when required.
• This recipe will be free from bitterness because of the cooking in the water and dipping in the curds.
• Bitter melon chips can also be prepared eliminating the process of dipping in the curds, which tastes little different.

Bitter melon capsules are available in the market and it is a boon to those who are unable to eat bitter melon because of its bitterness.