Hey Everyone,
welcome to another episode
of Veganlovlie recipes.
For those who don’t already know us,
I am Teenuja and there’s Kevin who is behind
the scenes.
Today, I am making a recipe with bitter melon
or bitter gourd.
And I am pretty excited about this for two
reasons.
First is that bitter melon is my favourite
vegetable ever since I was a child.
I know bitter melon can be a challenge for
some people to eat but I find the
taste incredibly refreshing and tasty.
Second thing is that today’s video is a
collaboration with Lisa from the Viet Vegan.
If you don’t already know Lisa, I do recommend
that you go and check out her channel.
She is a very fun and bubbly women and her videos
are always so informative and entertaining
to watch.
It’s like watching a live cooking
show where she explains as she cooks.
She also shares videos about her grocery
hauls, what she eats in a day, taste tests
which are sometimes pretty hilarious to watch,
her partner Eddie sometimes makes an appearance
and she talks about some other topics as well,
all revolving around vegan food and lifestyle.
So for this collab, we’ve picked bitter
melon as our main ingredient and we are each
going to make a recipe with it.
Whether you like bitter melons or you’re
new to this vegetable, you will most probably
find something in each of our recipes.
So, my recipe is a stuffed bitter melon preparation
which is inspired from one of my mum’s recipes.
I am making a variation with a crispy coating.
There are different varieties of bitter melons,
and I am using the dark green variety that
has a more bumby skin compared to the light
green one.
You can usually find these varieties at an
Asian or Indian store.
The dark green bitter melon is more bitter.
So, to reduce the bitterness a little bit,
lightly scrape the bumps off the skin.
If you really enjoy the bitterness or you
are using the light green smooth skin bitter
melon, you can skip this step.
Once scraped, make a slit along the length.
Don’t cut into halves.
Carefully scoop out the seeds.
Bitter melon is a very underappreciated vegetable
due to its blatantly bitter taste.
But, aside its numerous health benefits, when
prepared properly it becomes quite palatable
and is well worth exploring as an ingredient.
Place all the bitter gourds in a bowl and
sprinkle with salt.
Massage a couple of times then cover with
water and set this aside to soak for about
20 - 30 minutes.
This process will remove much of the bitter
flavour.
In the meantime, let’s prepare the ingredients
for the filling.
We will need some strings to tie the bitter
melons once they are stuffed so that the fillings
don’t come out when they are cooking.
So, I’ll be using the stems of coriander
or cilantro for that purpose.
Choose some long ones so that we have enough
length to tie them up properly.
Pick the leaves from the stem.
We are going to use the leaves as well.
Set both the stem and the leaves aside for
now.
Next, peel the potatoes and then cut them into small
cubes.
I am using two medium size potatoes here which
will make more filling than we need for 5
medium size bitter melons.
I’ll be using the left over in another recipe.
One large potato should be enough.
So, check the printable recipe on our website
for the correct measurements of the ingredients.
Chop the green chilli and set aside for now.
Peel and chop the onion.
I am using only 1/2 of a medium size onion.
You can omit the onion or use more to your
taste.
Now, heat 1/2 tablespoon of coconut or vegetable
oil in a pan or skillet.
Add the chopped onion and saute for about
2 minutes.
Next, add ginger-garlic paste and saute 
for about 30 seconds.
We have a video on the channel where we’ve
shared a few tips on how to make your own
minced ginger or garlic at home.
Check the description or the cards in the
top right for the link.
Now, add the cumin and coriander powder.
Saute for a few minutes.
Add the potatoes followed by the turmeric
powder.
Add a little salt and water.
Stir and cover.
Let cook on medium heat until the potatoes
are soft (this should take about 15 minutes).
Stir occasionally and add more water if necessary.
This filling is pretty similar to a samosa
filling.
And I think the spices work well to counter
the bitterness of the bitter gourd.
Once potatoes are soft, add the chillies and
green peas.
Cook for a couple of minutes then mash them
with the cooking spoon or a potato masher.
Lastly, add the coriander leaves.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
While the filling is cooling, place the coriander
stems in a saucepan, cover with some water
and turn on the heat.
We will need one stem per bitter melon so
make sure to have a few extra stems just in
case some get damaged when we are handling
them later.
Once the water reaches boiling point, let
it heat for a couple more minutes.
Then remove the stems and place them in a
bowl of cold water to stop them from cooking
any further.
This process makes the stems more flexible
so that they won’t snap when we tie them
into a knot.
Now wash the bitter gourds and carefully stuff
the potato filling into each.
Tie each bitter gourd with the coriander stems.
Like mentioned previously , this will ensure
that the filling doesn’t come out while
frying.
By the way, if you don’t want to use coriander
stems, you can use some food safe cotton twine.
In this case, you’ll need to remove the
strings at the end before serving the bitter
gourds.
If you are new to bitter melon, it does take
some time to acquire a liking for this vegetable.
I think the texture can contribute partly
to enhancing the taste of this gourd.
To create a crispy coating, I like to roll
each bitter gourd in some chickpea flour or
any other flour.
Coat it well and tap to remove the excess.
Heat a pan or skillet on medium-high temperature.
Add two to three tablespoons of cooking oil.
And Pan-fry the stuffed bitter gourds while
occasionally turning them on all the sides.
Keep turning the sides for even frying.
Once crispy and golden brown, remove from
the heat and drain on some absorbent paper.
If you wish you can also bake them.
In this case, just place the stuffed bitter
gourds on a baking tray and lightly spray
them with some cooking oil.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius
for about 40 minutes or until they are crispy
and cooked through.
Cooking or baking time really depends on your
preference.
Some prefer their bitter melons well cooked
and crispy while others like it more on the
crunchy and juicy side.
I think the creamy potato filling contrasts
well with the crispy outer layer.
You can serve them as a snack or I love to
serve them with rice along with other side
dishes like dal or curry.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this video.
Don’t forget to give us a thumbs up if you’ve
liked it and check do out Lisa’s recipe for
this collab.
If you are new to the channel, you may subscribe,
if you haven’t already, for more recipes.
You can also join our mailing list and we’ll
send you an email directly in your inbox each
time we have a new recipe on the blog or an
update.
I’ll see you soon in our next video.
Bye.
