Bitter Melon Salad with Napa and Carrot

I talked with a friend right before I made this dish. He said he never had bitter melon salad before, and he didn’t even know bitter melon can eat raw. So I decided to make this salad to show him.

I love salad during the summer. The big difference between Chinese salad and American salad is the dressing. We make our salad dressing by mixing vinegar, soybean sauce, sesame oil, etc. 

Ingredients:

bitter melon, napa cabbage, carrot, seasoning.

Methods:

1. Slice bitter melon in the middle, clean all the white stuff, then slice into thin slices. 

2. Shred carrot and napa cabbage. Mix with sliced bitter melon.

3. Mix whatever seasoning you would like to use, or if you prefer store bought salad dressing.

I used salt, sugar, vinegar, soybean sauce and sesame oil.

4. Pour salad dressing over vegetables, mix well, let it sit for several minutes to have the salad well seasoned. 

5. Serve it cold. 

Bitter Melon

 

Bitter Melon

 

Of Course, bitter melon tastes some bitter. 

A lot people don’t like the bitter taste. But once you fall in love with it, you’ll like it as it is.

there are seeds inside bitter melon, and you don’t want to cook it with the seeds. 

To clean the seeds, I normally use a spoon to scoop all the white out of it. Then it won’t taste too bitter after cooking.

Below is the wiki link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia

 

For dishes cooked with bitter melon, please see following links:

Stir Fried Bitter Melon with Eggs and Wood Ear

Stir Fried Bitter Melon with Eggs and Woodear

 

Bitter Melon Salad with napa and carrot

Stir Fried Bitter Melon with Eggs and Wood Ear

Stir Fried Bitter Melon with Eggs and Wood Ear

Bitter Melon is also called Bitter Squash. As its name, it does taste bitter, but it’s good for you, by Chinese sayings. Actually, anything tastes bitter is good for your health, by old sayings in China.

I’m not a bitter melon fan, but I do cook it once a while, mainly stir fry with eggs.

Ingredients:Stir Fried Bitter Melon with Eggs and Wood Ear

2 medium size bitter melon, 3 eggs, 2 red cayenne pepper, 10 wood ear, seasoning to taste.

Method:

1. Soak wood ear in water for about an hour, then clean it up. Tear into smaller pieces if it’s too big.

2. Cut bitter melon in half, scoop the seeds out, then chop into pieces.

3. Chop pepper into pieces.

4. Mix eggs with a little bit cooking wine, set aside.

5. Heat up skillet with high heat, add cooking oil, pour eggs, cook until eggs get firm. Transfer eggs to a plate, set aside.

Stir Fried Bitter Melon with Eggs and Wood Ear              Stir Fried Bitter Melon with Eggs and Wood Ear

6. Add cooking oil to skillet, stir fry wood ear until you start hearing it pop.

7. Add pepper and bitter melon into skillet, cook for several minutes, then add salt and pepper, a pinch of sugar. Keeping cooking and stirring.

8. Add cooked eggs back into skillet, keep cooking until bitter melon get some tender.

9. Transfer to plate, serve when it’s hot.

Stir Fried Bitter Melon with Eggs and Wood Ear

To view this recipe in Chinese, please click here.