Stirfried Bittergourd Omelette

A bittergourd or bitter melon is a gourd with a bitter taste. The bitter taste varies with each gourd. I am told that the gourds that look less wrinkly are less bitter while those with more wrinkles on the surface are more bitter. The smaller dark green ones are very bitter while larger gourds with a more yellow-green colour are less so.

I previously featured a recipe for Bittergourd with Egg and Bonito Flakes. This one is slightly different in that it is more like an omelette. Its easy to whip up and bittergourd is supposed to be good for you. I used to hate the taste but with time, its actually become one of my favourite vegetables.

There are a few ways of helping tone down or reduce the sharp bitter taste of this gourd.

What I do is to cut the gourd open length-wise and remove the seeds and as much of the pith (the creamy white lining) as possible. For this recipe, I slice it into thin half-moon slices and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle a generous helping of salt over the sliced bittergourd and toss to coat. Leave aside for about 20 minutes then wash the salt off. This reduces the bitter taste of the gourd for those who are averse to the taste.

What you need:

• 1 Medium sized bitter gourd sliced
• 2 eggs
• Salt or soy sauce and pepper to taste
• 1 clove garlic chopped

How to:

1. Heat up the oil in the wok and stir fry the garlic until aromatic. Do not brown.
2. Add in the sliced bittergourd and stir fry until slightly soft. Do not over do it or it will turn yellow and mushy.
3. Beat up the eggs in a bowl and add the salt or soy sauce and pepper to taste. Add a little bit of water to the mixture to thin it.
4. Spread the bittergourd thinly on the base of the wok and pour the egg mixture over it.
5. Fry till egg is cooked. Dish out and serve immediately.

If you use a lot of oil and maybe more eggs, chances are the egg omelette will remain whole. However, I tend to use less oil so the omelette tends to break up as you see in the picture. This similar recipe can be used for making an omelette with long beans or snake beans or any hardy vegetable. Its one of those dishes that anyone would identify as a home cooked meal.

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Tagged as: Chinese, Easy Recipes, Eggs, Vegetables