wintermom Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I found these, Karella, in the grocery store and they look like green hedge hogs. I'm letting my dc make St. Paddy's day crafts with them, but if we wanted to try eating one, does anyone have suggestions on how to prepare them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Are they a form of bitter melon? Ah, I just looked it up and yes, it is also known as bitter melon. As it's name says, it is very bitter. Here is a recipe, though honestly my opinion is to not eat it! http://www.travelchinaguide.com/tour/food/chinese-cooking/stir-fried-bittermelon.htm I do have a funny bitter melon story, though. I was taken out to eat by a Chinese friend and his relatives. Bitter melon was one of the dishes. I was taught from when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, to eat whatever I am served as a guest. So I had some. They were so surprised that a Westerner ate the bitter melon that they gave me another heaping spoonful! Ack! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mominco Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 (edited) They are bitter in taste.Acquired taste. You can soak them in salt water to reduce the bitterness but I have never felt any difference in taste after soaking . Google results will come up with many indian curries. If you are upto it here is a recipe,but be prepared to gag esp if you are not used to the taste! Easiest is to soak for1/2 hour,cut them into pieces( scoop and dump the seeds that are inside) add about 2-3 table spoons of oil to a pan and saute on low till they are soft about 15 min,add salt, chilli powder to taste. you can serve with rice! Good luck ETA if using only 1 bitter gourd reduce the quantity of oil to a tablespone! Edited March 17, 2016 by mominco 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 Thanks for the ideas. I did notice a website that listed all the benefits of drinking Bitter Melon juice, but it failed to give directions on how to prepare the juice. Anyone ever drink its juice, and is it also bitter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mominco Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Yes the juice is supposedly really bitter! My mil used to juice it in her blender. She would soak,cut,scope out insides and blend in with water. Strain and drink. She would always complain about how bitter it was but did it for her diabetes. Don't know if she still does it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Yes the juice is supposedly really bitter! My mil used to juice it in her blender. She would soak,cut,scope out insides and blend in with water. Strain and drink. She would always complain about how bitter it was but did it for her diabetes. Don't know if she still does it though. Did it help her diabetes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 They do make really cute St. Paddy's Day green hedgehogs! No one is brave enough to try eating them. I also discovered that our neighbours, from China, eat them all the time and grow them in the garden (more the smooth, bitter cucumber kind). So, if one finds the seed, these weird looking fruit will grow in the Great White North. Who'd have thought? :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nansk Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 (edited) Karella is also called bitter gourd. One Indian way to cook these - cut them, scoop out and dump the seeds, boil them till partly cooked, and discard the water. That gets rid of the bitterness. Then cook them with a bit of oil and a paste of salt, chilli powder, curry powder, jaggery, and fresh grated coconut. One Chinese way to cook these - cut them, scoop out and dump the seeds, boil them with chopped carrots, red dates, and wolfberries. Add salt to taste. This soup uses a slighly different variety of bitter gourd. See this image; on the left is the variety cooked in India, on the right is the variety cooked in China. Edited March 18, 2016 by nansk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mominco Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Did it help her diabetes? Jean Sorry I just saw this. Her problem is/was drinking the bitter gourd juice and then eating a lot of sugary deserts and high carb food. She thought by drinking the juice she could eat anything and everything and expected the diabetics to magically disappear! :lol: So while it might help someone it's clearly not helped MIL ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Jean Sorry I just saw this. Her problem is/was drinking the bitter gourd juice and then eating a lot of sugary deserts and high carb food. She thought by drinking the juice she could eat anything and everything and expected the diabetics to magically disappear! :lol: So while it might help someone it's clearly not helped MIL ! Oh no! Yeah, not the way it was intended to be used. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mominco Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 (edited) Oh no! Yeah, not the way it was intended to be used. . . My Fil when he was alive used to keep her eating in control but since his passing she has no one to keep her in check even though Bil who lives near her tries to but he obviously cannot be there all the time checking what she eats. She has gotten very good at hiding her treats. My dh talked to her last night and brought up the bitter gourd juice topic she said she has doubled her dose and she said and I quote, see its obviously working,I am still alive and in good health are't I? :laugh: Sorry Op did not mean to go ot. Edited March 19, 2016 by mominco 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 I'm seeing these things everywhere now! They were on sale in the frozen vegetable section today, cut up and ready for use. That just takes away all the fun of having these crazy looking things checked out at by the cashier. :laugh: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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