Bitter Gourd and okra stir fry
Bitter gourd and okra stir fry. Bitter gourd is also known as bitter melon or caraille, plays a crucial part in the Caribbean diet. This edible vine fruit may be bitter as it suggests but more often than not, doubles up and acts as a blood cleansing beverage for the vast majority of island people.
My grandmother would force me to drink a cup of boiled caraille as a youngster. At the time I hated it, but as I transitioned into womanhood I soon become fond of its anti-diabetic and cleansing properties, to the point where I began to experiment with making a few main meals thus creating this stir fry dish.
A few information about Bitter Gourd
If you’re not a fan of bitter food, then you may need to sit this one out, as bitter melon is grown in many tropical places such; as Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, don’t be surprised if the aforementioned countries are equally as passionate about gourd as much as I am.
Similar to cucumber it is watery and crunchy in texture though preferred cooked as opposed to eaten raw, when paired with okra this helps to balance the bitter taste and lend a great source of folate, fiber, and vitamin C.
I do recommend slicing and soaking the caraille for a few hours in saline water to help release the bitterness.
A quick, easy and healthy recipe reminiscent of the Caribbean. Serve with brown rice or traditional roti bread
Courtesy and Recipe from Charlene @ http://thatgirlcookshealthy.com/
Bitter Gourd and okra stir fry
Equipment
- Wok
Ingredients
- 2 bitter gourd sliced, seeds and pith removed + soaked in saline water a handful of okra
- 1 small onion
- 2 scallions
- 1 tsp of thyme
- 1 tsp of parsley
- 1 tsp of coriander
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
- 1/4 tsp of himalayan pink salt
- some coconut oil for stir frying
Instructions
- Use a wok style pan on medium heat with a splash of coconut oil to sautee the onion and scallion for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown.
- Once golden, toss in t okra and bitter gourd into the wok, flip and rotate the pan so the veggies are coated with the onions and oil.
- Proceed to season the vegetables with the thyme, parsley, coriander, black pepper and salt.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low until the bitter gourd and okra are completely soft.
- Serve with brown rice or traditional roti bread
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
have seen bitter gourd in stores and have never tried it before. Since I like okra and would like to add more variety to my vegetables, this might just make it to my table
Or you could actually substitute the Gourd with brussels sprouts if that will work for you. Just a thought! Thanks for the comment Craftyone!