How to Prepare Bitter Melon

By
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
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Updated on 03/25/20
  • 01 of 06

    How to Prepare Bitter Melon (Foo Gwa)

    Bitter melon
    Aparna Balasubramanian / Getty Images

    While bitter melon is one of our favorite Chinese vegetables, like cilantro, it’s an acquired taste! Here are simple tips for preparing bitter melon to use in stir-fries and other Chinese dishes. If you're a real fan of this veggie, you can skip parboiling the melon, which is designed to make its distinct flavor less overpowering.

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  • 02 of 06

    Cut the Bitter Melon

    Cut bitter melon (Momordica charantia)
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    Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the ends off the bitter melon and cut in half lengthwise. Do not peel it, the skin is edible. If you don't plan on parboiling your bitter melons, you can skip boiling the water.

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  • 03 of 06

    Remove the Seeds

    Remove bitter melon seeds
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    Remove the seeds and white pith from the middle of the melon with a small spoon.

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  • 04 of 06

    Slice the Bitter Melon

    Sliced bitter melon
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    Cut the melon diagonally into thin, 1/4-inch slices.

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  • 05 of 06

    Parboiling the Melon

    Boiled bitter melon in a metal bowl
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    Place the sliced bitter melon in the boiling water and parboil until it is just tender (two to three minutes). Then drain it. Parboiling partially cooks bitter melon as well as reducing its strong bitter taste. If you skip this step, you'll want to stir-fry the bitter melon longer: about three minutes, until it begins to soften.

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  • 06 of 06

    Using Bitter Melon

    Stir-fry bitter melon
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    Add the bitter melon in the last stages of stir-frying. In this recipe for pork with bitter melon, it is stir-fried for a minute and then simmered with pork and Chinese black beans in chicken broth. The pronounced flavor of the black beans helps counteract bitter melon’s strong taste. Bitter melon can also be steamed. A popular dish consists of stuffing the bitter melon with a mixture of ground pork and seasonings, then steaming it for 20 minutes and topping with a sauce made with Chinese black beans.