Bitter Melon Recipe-Easy Stir Fry
Right now my bitter melon (ku gua, 苦瓜) plant is bursting with flowers and slowly giving me fruits throughout the week. Time to make stir fried bitter melon! I don’t live on an acre of land or a farm, just a regular house in Silicon Valley so my garden is small hence why my ku guas are petite (how to grow bitter melon).
When I have such fresh produce I like to preserve the original taste and texture by cooking it in the least fancy way possible. I have seen recipes for bitter melon that include braising, making a soup, and blanching it in salt water before stir frying. But being the Type B person that I am and having such fresh ku guas, I decided to cook it in a simple way with scrambled eggs.
Although this dish comes off as simple and humble, it bursts in texture and taste. The scrambled eggs give the bitter melon a creamy and rich flavor, garlic and a dash a sugar balances the bitter taste, and the seasonings bring out the umami. My hubby only wants me to cook it in this way and he’s wishing our plant will produce 2 fruits a day! I think that’s a fat chance with only 1 plant but I’m hoping next year we will have more luck.
Simple ingredients, easy to customize
Ingredients
- 2 small bitter melons
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp Shio Koji (may substitute with oyster sauce or soy sauce)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Pre-prep, only 5 mins
Cut the melons cross-wise and scoop out all the seeds. I want to do an experiment so next year so I’m drying and saving my seeds for next year!
Slice the melons like half-moons 🌙 and chop the garlic. You can pre-measure and put each seasoning in a dish or keep your sauces next to the stove and pour each ingredient as your cooking all chaotically like me.
You can beat your eggs in a bowl OR you can save washing a dish and crack the eggs in the wok.
Let’s get cooking!
Heat the oil on medium-high heat. I use avocado oil since it has a high smoke point and has a neutral taste. When the oil is glossy, throw in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the bitter melon and stir fry for 1 min. Add 1/2 tsp sugar and mix. (TIP: Adding sugar before wet seasonings add a delicious caramelized flavor to stir-fry dishes).
Push melon to side of wok and add eggs. Scramble the eggs with the bitter melon and add soy sauce and Shio Koji (if using, or other substitutions). Stir-fry everything for 30 seconds.
TAA-DAA! Eat with hot rice
Easy Stir-Fried Bitter Melon
Ingredients
- 2 small bitter melons I grow the Indian variety
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 tbsp oil I use avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar Can adjust to taste but I keep sugar to a minimum to prevent diabetes.
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp Shio Koji Can substitute for soy sauce or oyster sauce. Shio Koji is readily available to SV Asian markets and I like the added gut benefits.
Instructions
- Cut the melons cross-wise and scoop out all the seeds. Slice the melons like half-moons 🌙 and chop the garlic
- Heat the oil on medium-high heat. I use avocado oil since it has a high smoke point and has a neutral taste. When the oil is glossy, throw in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the bitter melon and stir fry for 1 min. Add 1/2 tsp sugar and mix.
- Push melon to side of wok and add eggs. Scramble the eggs with the bitter melon and add soy sauce and Shio Koji (if using, or other substitutions). Stir-fry everything for 30 seconds.
- Dish out and eat with rice!
Notes
- Can customize seasonings based on taste but I try to keep sugar and salty levels on low to medium levels to help my family prevent diabetes and hypertension.