Indo-Chinese Bitter Melon and Egg Stir Fry

I'm a big fan of bitter melon? Can you tell? It's an acquired taste, but it's really good for you. Bitter melon is high in Vitamins A and C. There are 2 types of bitter melon - Chinese and Indian. I'm more familiar with the bitter melon from India which is called Karela. Karela is more narrow and has jagged spikes on the rind and pointed ends. 

On the other hand, the Chinese variety is long, pale green, and covered in bumps. The Chinese bitter melon pictured below was grown in my container garden. 

Homegrown Chinese Bitter Melon

I didn't know about the Chinese bitter melon until my mother-in-law gave me a few of them from her garden. She has a magic thumb when it comes to growing vegetables. Check out my Instagram post to see how big hers are compared to mine. I'm so jealous. 

We recently went over to my in-law's place for dinner and my mother-in-law served this Chinese dish made with bitter melon and eggs. Typically she stir-fries the bitter melon with meat. I think she made it with eggs because she knew I was coming.  I liked it so much that I decided to re-create it at home with Indian flare. Check out my recipe below and let me know if you try it. 

Ingredients

• About 11.5 oz Chinese bitter melon (remove seeds, slice, and chop into 1" pieces)
• 1-2 tsp Dry Garlic Chutney (depending on your spice level)
• 2 eggs, whisked and seasoned with salt and pepper
• Salt as per taste
• Crushed black pepper, as per taste
• 1.5 Tbsp. Vegetable oil for frying
• Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Procedure

1) Heat oil in a medium-sized sauté pan, and when you feel the heat on your palm, add the bitter melon and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes.

2) Remove the lid and test by breaking a piece with the spatula. If it breaks, the melon is cooked. If it doesn't, cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust the heat to make sure you don't burn the vegetable.  (Note: once the bitter melon is cooked, it will turn dull green. 

3) Once the bitter melon is cooked, remove it from the pan and aside in a bowl. Add half a tablespoon of oil to the hot pan and then add the whisked eggs. Keep mixing the eggs, until they become scrambled and lightly toasted. 

4) Next add the cooked bitter melon back to the pan. Add the dry garlic chutney powder and mix well.  Taste and adjust salt. Garnish with fresh cilantro. 

 The Bitter melon and egg stir fry is ready to be served and enjoyed with quinoa, rice, or roti.  

If you like Chinese bitter melon as much as I do check out the recipes below:

Chinese Bitter melon and potato stir fry, Chinese Bitter melon Chutney

And if you crave more bitter vegetables, check out the Indian bitter melon recipes below:

Creamy Tofu and Karela Curry, Karela Curry, Stuffed and Stir Fried Karela