Faced with ripe bitter melon, the lingering bitter flavor is really a headache. Don't be in a hurry to discard, master some tricks, you can easily dissolve the bitterness of the bitter melon, so that it transformed into a delicious dish.
Magic trick one: clever use of salt
Salt method is to remove the bitter flavor of bitter melon most commonly used, the most effective way. After cutting the bitter melon into pieces, add an appropriate amount of salt and mix evenly, marinate for about 15-20 minutes. The salt will penetrate into the tissues of the bitter melon and precipitate the bitter substances. After the pickling is completed, rinse off the excess salt with water and the bitterness of the bitter melon will be significantly reduced.
Trick 2: Blanching
Blanching is also an easy and effective way to remove bitterness. Slice or cut the bitter melon, blanch it in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes, fish it out and pass it through cold water. The blanching process will destroy the bitter components contained in the bitter melon while maintaining its flavor.
Trick 3: Match sweet ingredients
If the bitter gourd is still bitter, try to match it with some sweet ingredients, such as honey, sugar or rock sugar. These sweet ingredients can neutralize the bitterness of bitter melon and also enhance its taste.
Trick 4: Choose the right varieties
If you feel that none of the above methods can completely eliminate the bitterness of bitter melon, then you may want to consider choosing some less bitter varieties of bitter melon. There are some improved varieties of bitter melon on the market that are much less bitter than the traditional varieties and are more suitable for culinary consumption.
Trick 5: cooking techniques
When cooking bitter melon, you can use some special techniques to further remove the bitter flavor. For example, when frying bitter melon, add some minced garlic, ginger or chili pepper, these ingredients have the effect of removing bitterness and increasing flavor. When stewing bitter melon, adding some tomato or orange juice can also effectively neutralize the bitter taste.
It is worth mentioning that the bitter flavor of bitter melon, though headache-inducing, is a beneficial ingredient for the body. The bitter pigment in bitter melon has the effect of clearing heat and detoxification, reducing heat and fire, strengthening the spleen and opening the stomach. Therefore, when removing the bitter flavor, try to retain some of it, so that you can enjoy the nutrition of bitter melon, but also to avoid the bitter taste is too heavy to affect the taste.