MAUI- Cooking With Bitter Melon

Bitter Melon is a common vegetable, or fruit depending on who you talk to, is used a lot by Filipinos in their cooking, and it is also used by Chinese, well, that I've experienced. The Filipinos call Bitter Mellon Paria, and is used in many dishes such as stir fries and soups. 

The veggie...or ah... fruit, grows on vines, my dad grew Bitter Melon in his yard, he had a fence put up, made of wire, cheap wire, and the vines would creep up on to it, and before you knew it, the buds would start popping out, and once the veggie...or fruit was little, he'd twist some newspaper around it to protect it from the elements, like the hot sun, if the sun was shining on it all day, the bugger would wilt. Well that's what the thought was, I'm sure it wasn't to say to the neighbors, "Look, I'm good with newspapers."

So what is the nutrition of the veggie or ah...fruit.

VITAMINS
A
B1
B2
B3
B6
Folate
B12
C
E
Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Zinc


CHICKEN BITTER MELON STIR FRY

8 oz. cubed chicken breast
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. minced ginger
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup thin sliced Bitter Melon

Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. corn starch

1. Heat up wok with veg. oil over medium high heat, sauté the ginger and garlic for 20 seconds, add in cubed chicken, and stir fry until half cooked.
2. Add in the Bitter Melon, and cook about 2 minutes, or until it softens a little.
3. Add in the sauce, cook until thickened, stir around the chicken and bitter melon and sauce well, season with salt and pepper.

Serve with white sticky rice, serves 2 people.