Want to try something a little different? Beef with bitter melon lends an exotic Asian twist to your dinner table. The beef is tender and juicy while the bitter melon is a bit tangy. Stir fried together with a black bean based sauce, it’s got all kinds of contrasting flavors that make it the perfect main dish. Plus, it’s super-healthy!
What is bitter melon
Bitter melon (苦瓜) comes from a tropical plant known as Momordica charantia. In Chinese cuisine, it is adored for its health benefits and is used in a variety of recipes. Most commonly, you’ll find it in stir fries, but it is also often found in soups, stew, and dim sum. Because it contains certain compounds, it is believed that bitter melon can help with diabetes. It is full of antioxidants that minimize inflammation and some preliminary studies suggest it may help prevent cancer and other diseases. Having grown up in China, I enjoy eating bitter melon and have grown accustomed to its taste. My mom would prepare it often, by making a simple stir fry with eggs. I shared a very simple bitter melon stir fry recipe before, but I wanted to share one that’s a bit more decadent. Don’t worry if you’re worried about the bitter taste, as this recipe will help you come to love it.
How to prepare bitter melon to minimize the bitter taste
If possible, try to pick bitter melons that are smaller in size, which tend to have a milder taste and their texture is more tender and crisp. The bigger they grow, the tougher the texture. Depending on the specific melon you get, sometimes the bitterness can be quite intense. That’s why you want to prepare it right, so you’ll get a nice, tender texture without it tasting too bitter. Before you cook with bitter melon: The whole process does take a bit of time, but it’s absolutely worth the effort.
Ingredients for making beef with bitter melon
When you’re done prepping, your table should have the ingredients below. You can either use fermented black beans or black bean sauce (I have a homemade version here) in this recipe.
Cooking process
To make the beef with bitter melon stir fry: I added seasonings at different stages to further reduce the bitterness of the bitter melon and to create a better tasting sauce. This might not be the easiest stir fry, but it’s so good for you and really delicious. Look for bitter melon at your local farmer’s market or find it at the Asian supermarket. It is a delightful dish, perfect for enjoying plenty of flavor, and it will help your body detox naturally! Want to learn more about Chinese Cooking? Sign up for my newsletter to receive the 5-Day Chinese Cooking Crash Course and recipe update! Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
