Culinary uses
A small green bitter melon (front) and a scoop of Okinawan stir-fried
gōyā chanpurū (back)
Bitter melon is generally consumed cooked in the green or early
yellowing stage. The young shoots and leaves of the bitter melon may
also be eaten as greens.
Bitter melon is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavor, typically in
stir-fries (often with pork and
douchi), soups, and also in
tisanes. It has also been used in place of
hops as the bittering ingredient in some
Chinese and Okinawan
beers.
[4]
It is very popular throughout South Asia. In Northern India, it is often prepared with potatoes and served with
yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, or used in
sabzi. In
North Indian cuisine, it is stuffed with spices and then cooked in oil. In Southern India, it is used in the dishes
thoran/
thuvaran (mixed with grated
coconut),
theeyal (cooked with roasted coconut) and
pachadi (which is considered a medicinal food for
diabetics). Other popular recipes include preparations with
curry, deep fried with
peanuts or other ground nuts, and
Pachi Pulusu
(కాకరకాయ పచ్చి పులుసు), a soup with fried onions and other spices.In
Tamil Nadu, a special preparation in Brahmins' cuisine called
pagarkai pitla (பாகற்காய் பிட்லா) a kind of sour
koottu (கூட்டு) variety is very popular. Also popular is
kattu pagarkkai
(கட்டு பாகற்காய்) a curry stuffed with onions, cooked lentil and grated
coconut mix, tied with thread and fried in oil. In Konkan region of
Maharashtra, salt is added to finely chopped bitter gourd and then it is
squeezed, removing its bitter juice to some extent.After frying this
with different spices, less bitter and crispy preparation is served with
grated coconut.
In
Pakistan and
Bangladesh, bitter melon is often cooked with onions, red
chili powder,
turmeric powder, salt,
coriander powder, and a pinch of
cumin
seeds. Another dish in Pakistan calls for whole, unpeeled bitter melon
to be boiled and then stuffed with cooked ground beef, served with
either hot
tandoori bread,
naan,
chappati, or with
khichri (a mixture of
lentils and rice).
A soft drink made from bitter melon
Bitter melon is a significant ingredient in
Okinawan cuisine, and is increasingly used in mainland
Japan. It is popularly credited with Okinawan life expectancies being higher than the already long Japanese ones.
In
Indonesia, bitter melon is prepared in various dishes, such as
gado-gado, and also stir fried, cooked in coconut milk, or steamed.
In
Vietnam, raw bitter melon slices consumed with
dried meat floss and bitter melon soup with
shrimp
are popular dishes. Bitter melons stuffed with ground pork are served
as a popular summer soup in the south. It is also used as the main
ingredient of "stewed bitter melon". This dish is usually cooked for the
Tết holiday, where its "bitter" name is taken as a reminder of the poor living conditions experienced in the past.
In the
Philippines, bitter melon may be stir-fried with ground beef and
oyster sauce, or with eggs and diced
tomato. The dish
pinakbet, popular in the
Ilocos region of
Luzon, consists mainly of bitter melons,
eggplant,
okra,
string beans, tomatoes,
lima beans, and other various regional vegetables altogether stewed with a little
bagoong-based stock.
In Nepal, bitter melon is prepared as a fresh pickle called
achar.
For this, the bitter gourd is cut into cubes or slices and sautéed
covered in oil and a sprinkle of water. When it is softened and reduced,
it is minced in a
mortar with a few cloves of
garlic, salt and a red or green pepper. It is also
sautéed to golden-brown, stuffed, or as a curry on its own or with potatoes.
In
Trinidad and Tobago bitter melons are usually sauteed with onion, garlic and
scotch bonnet pepper until almost crisp.
Local names
In some English texts, the plant or the fruit may be called by its local names, which include
kugua (
Chinese:
苦瓜,
pinyin:
kǔguā, "bitter gourd");
parya (
Ilokano),
pare or
pare ayam (
Javanese and
Indonesian),
pavayka or
kayppayka (
Malayalam:പാവയ്ക്ക, കയ്പ്പക്ക bubulu ),
goya (
Okinawan: ゴーヤー) or
nigauri (
Japanese:
苦瓜; although the Okinawan word
goya is also used in Japanese),
paakharkaai (
Tamil: பாகற்காய்),
hāgalakāyi (
Kannada: ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ),
ma'reah (
Khmer: ម្រះ),
kaakarakaya(
Telugu: కాకరకాయ), করলা (
korola) (
Bengali),
ampalaya (
Tagalog),
muop dang (
Vietnamese:
mướp đắng) or
kho qua (
Vietnamese:
khổ qua). It is also known as
caraille or
carilley on
Trinidad and Tobago,
carilla in
Guyana,
cundeamor is a small variety very common in Puerto Rico (actually is the
Momordica balsamina), "asorosi" or assorosie" in Haiti, and
cerasee or
cerasse in Jamaica and elsewhere in the
Caribbean, including parts of
South America (although is known in Portuguese as
melão de São Caetano - and Spanish-speaking areas, however is known by the Okinawan or Japanese names in others regions). It is
karela in
Hindi- and
Urdu-speaking areas, कारले (
karle) in Marathi. It is known as तीते करेला (
tite karela) in
Nepali, tite means bitter and karela is the fruit. In
Suriname, it is known as
sopropo. The fruit is called
kudhreth narhy (
kudret narı) in
Turkey,
faaga in
Maldives, and
karavila කරවිල in Sri Lanka(Sinhala). Additional local names include
hagala kayi(ಹಾಗಲ ಕಾಯಿ) in
Kannada,
karla in Marathi,
karela (કારેલા) in
Gujarati,
kakarakaya (కాకరకాయ) in
Telugu,
paakal-kaai (பாகற்க்காய்) in
Tamil, and
kalara in
Odia.
[5]
========================================
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/bitter-gourd.html Bitter gourd (melon) nutrition factsBitter gourd (melon) is perhaps the secret
vegetable of the Okinawa Islander longevity! Although the bitterness of
Bitter-melon might turn some people away from, it can really sweeten
your health because of its disease preventing and health promoting
phyto chemical compounds.
Botanically it belongs to the
family of Cucurbitaceae, of the genus: Momordica and is a member of
the same family
of
squash,
watermelon,
cantaloupes,
cucumber,
etc.
Scientific name:
Momordica
charantia. Some of the related varieties are
balsam pear,
cundeamor, la-kwa, etc.
Bitter melons (Momordica charantia). Oriental variety. Note for the
uneven pebble like longitudinally arranged ridges. The ends are round
and blunt.
Bitter melons hanging down in a vine. a variety commonly found in Indian subcontinent. Note for pointed ends.
Bitter melon is the immature pod vegetable,
popular in many Asian
countries. This widely grown as edible pod is, in fact, among
the
most bitter of all culinary vegetables.
Bitter
melon is a temperate
/tropical vegetable
probably originated in
South-East Asia. Like other members of the Cucurbitaceae
family, this plant is a fast-growing, trailing or climbing vine with
thin stems and tendrils and requires trellis to support the climbing
vine.
The pods are characterized by smooth lengthwise
ridges and uneven pebbly surface. Depending upon the cultivar type,
immature pods are light to dark green and have oblong or oval shapes
with a pointed tip at the blossom end. Internally, the flesh is white
with rough edged seeds, somewhat similar to ridge gourd seeds. As the
fruits begin to mature, they gradually turn yellow or orange.
Health
benefits of Bitter gourd
-
The vegetable is very low in calories,
providing just 17 calories per 100g. Nevertheless, its pods are rich in
phytonutrients like dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.
-
Bitter melon notably contains phyto-nutrient, polypeptide-P; a
plant insulin known to lower blood sugar levels. In addition, it
composes hypoglycemic agent called charantin.
Charantin
increases glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in the cells of liver,
muscle and adipose tissue. Together, these compounds are thought to be
responsible for reduction of blood sugar levels in the treatment of
type-2 diabetes.
-
Fresh pods are an excellent source of folates,
contain about 72 µg/100g (Provides 18% of RDA). Folate helps reduce
the incidence of neural tube defects in the newborns when taken by
mothers during early pregnancy.
-
Fresh bitter melon is an excellent source of
vitamin-C (100 g of raw pod provides 84 mg or about 140% of RDI).
Vitamin-C, one of the powerful natural antioxidants, helps the body
scavenge deleterious free radicals one of the reasons for cancer
development.
-
It is an excellent source of health benefiting
flavonoids such as ß-carotene, α-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. It
also contains a good amount of vitamin A. Together; these compounds
help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals
and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging, cancers
and various disease processes.
-
Bitter melon stimulates
easy digestion and
peristalsis of food through the bowel until it is excreted from the
body. Thus, helps in relieving indigestion and
constipation problems.
-
In addition, the vegetable is an also good
source of niacin (vitamin B-3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5),
pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and minerals such as iron, zinc, potassium,
manganese and magnesium.
-
Early
laboratory tests
suggest that compounds
in bitter melon might be effective for treating HIV infection.
See the table below for in depth analysis
of nutrients:
Bitter gourd or Bitter melon (Momordica charantia),
fresh, raw, Nutritive value per 100 g
(Source: USDA National
Nutrient data base)
| Principle |
Nutrient
Value |
Percentage
of
RDA |
| Energy |
17 Kcal |
<1 td="">
|
| Carbohydrates |
3.70 g |
3% |
| Protein |
1.00 g |
2% |
| Total Fat |
0.17 g |
0.5% |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg |
0% |
| Dietary
Fiber |
2.80 g |
7% |
| Vitamins |
|
|
| Folates |
72 µg |
18% |
| Niacin |
0.400 mg |
2.5% |
| Pantothenic
acid |
0.212 mg |
4% |
| Pyridoxine |
0.043 mg |
3% |
| Riboflavin |
0.040 mg |
3% |
| Thiamin |
0.040 mg |
3.5% |
| Vitamin A |
471 IU |
16% |
| Vitamin C |
84 mg |
140% |
| Electrolytes |
|
|
| Sodium |
5 mg |
<1 td="">
|
| Potassium |
296 mg |
6% |
| Minerals |
|
|
| Calcium |
19 mg |
2% |
| Copper |
0.034 mg |
4% |
| Iron |
0.43 mg |
5% |
| Magnesium |
17 mg |
4% |
| Manganese |
0.089 mg |
4% |
| Zinc |
0.80 mg |
7% |
| Phyto-nutrients |
|
|
| Carotene-ß |
190 µg |
-- |
| Carotene-α |
185 µg |
|
| Lutein-zeaxanthin |
170 µg |
-- |
Selection
and storage
Fresh pods are
available in the market year around. When you buy bitter melons, look
for the fresh, bright pods that feature dark-green color, without any
cuts, or blemishes on their surfaces. Choose young, tender and immature
pods. Immature-fruits are least bitter; and their bitterness rises as
the pods mature.
At home, fresh
bitter gourd pods are placed in the plastic zip pouch and stored in the
vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, where they stay afresh for
up to a week.
Preparation and serving methods
Wash bitter
gourds thoroughly in the running water before cooking. Fresh pods as
well as young leaves of can be used for cooking. Bitterness can be
reduced by marinating in salted spice mixture and dried in sunlight.
There are several local traditional methods to reduce bitterness like
boiling in salt water for 5-10 minutes and then discarding the water or
marinating in yogurt for about 30 minutes.
Although its
pith and seeds are discarded due to their higher alkaloid content, they
have also eaten in some Asian regions without any reservations.
Here are some serving tips:
|
Goya
chanpuru. A okinawan dish prepared
with bitter melon, tofu, egg and onion.
|
-
In India where it is
popularly known as karela
used in variety of recipes either
stir-fried
or stuffed
with garam masala, tomato,
onions, green
chilies, garlic
and
curry leaves.
-
Goya
chanpuru, Okinawan
stir-fry with bitter melon, onion,
tofu, pork, and eggs, is a special dish of health-conscious island
inhabitants.
-
Known as ampalaya in
Philippines, it has been widely used in
special dishes like Pinakbet
Ilocano, prepared with shrimp paste and
mixed with vegetables like eggplant
(aubergine) and okra.
-
Dried, and ground whole bitter gourd has been
used in the preparation of iced or milk tea in some East Asian regions.
-
Bitter gourd is also been used in the pickle
preparations.
Safety
profile
Bitter
gourd may contain
alkaloid substances like quinine and morodicine, resins and saponic
glycosides, which may be intolerable by some people. The bitterness and
toxicity may be reduced somewhat by parboiling or soaking in salt water
for up to 10 minutes. Toxicity
symptoms may include excessive salivation, facial redness,
dimness of vision, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscular
weakness. (Medical disclaimer)
Why Do People Use Bitter Melon?
Bitter melon is used primarily for type 2 diabetes, although studies are needed to prove its effectiveness.
Side Effects and Safety
Bitter melon is considered to be quite safe, as it's widely consumed as a food in Asia.
Side effects may include stomach pain and diarrhea.
Possible Interactions
Bitter
melon may decrease blood sugar and insulin levels, so it shouldn't be
combined with diabetes medication or any other medication that affects
blood sugar unless under a doctor's supervision.============================
http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/bitter-melon.html
Botanical: Momordica charantia
Family: Cucurbitaceae (gourd/squash)
Other common names: Balsam Pear, Bitter Cucumber, LaGua, Cerasee, Bitter Gourd, Bitter Squash, Karela, Leprosy Gourd, Momordica, Wild Cucumber
Bitter Melon is an important
food and medicinal staple in tropical parts of the world. Perhaps more
importantly, Bitter Melon has demonstrated great promise in recent
studies for the treatment of diabetes and may have great potential in the treatment of other serious malignant diseases,
including leukemia (although there is no definitive evidence to prove
this last claim). Traditional herbalists have long used it as a male
aphrodisiac, a treatment for certain malignancies and infections and
even a remedy for bad breath. Extracts of Bitter Melon (often called
Balsam Pear) may also be more effective than popular prescription drugs
for destroying certain strains of herpes viruses.
Disclaimer:
The information presented herein by Herbal Extracts Plus is
intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been
evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or
prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any
supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care
provider.
History:
Bitter Melon is a fast-growing annual vine that is native to
southern Asia and also cultivated in the tropical and subtropical
climates of Africa, Asia and other warm-weather regions of the world,
where it grows in savannas and bush. This fast-growing climber that was
naturalized in the Americas, reaches a height of six feet and bears
deeply lobed leaves, yellow flowers and orange-yellow fruit. The plant
is grown as a crop in rich, well-drained soil in full sun in a minimum
of about sixty degrees Fahrenheit. Although the seeds, leaves and vines
of Bitter Melon have all been used in traditional herbal medicine
throughout the world, the fruit, which resembles a cucumber with bumps,
is the primary part of the plant used medicinally. Bitter Melon has
been used in China for centuries as a vegetable and in Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM); and practitioners of Chinese medicine have used
it for hundreds of years as a powerful treatment high blood sugar. Its
actions were described as "bitter in taste, non-toxic, expelling evil
heat, relieving fatigue and illuminating" in the famous Compendium of Materia Medica
by Li Shizhen (1518-1593), one of the greatest physicians,
pharmacologists and naturalists in China's history. Balsam Pear-Bitter
Melon was introduced to Europe in 1710, and was recorded as a garden
plant in France in 1870. It has long been used as an important
medicinal herb and as a food plant in tropical Asia, Africa, the
Caribbean and South America. In India, it is eaten as a vegetable or in
curries (after it has been soaked to remove its bitterness), and it is
an important ingredient in Chinese cuisine for its bitter flavor.
Bitter Melon has also been an ingredient in teas and beer or added to
season soups and stews. Active chemical constituents in Bitter Melon
include a mixture of steroidal saponins known as charantin, insulin-like
peptides (polypeptide-b) and alkaloids. It is still unclear which of
these is most effective or if all three work together when used to
reduce blood glucose. An unidentified constituent in Balsam Pear also
appears to inhibit the enzyme guanylate cyclase, which may be of benefit
to people with psoriasis.
Beneficial Uses:
Bitter Melon is a considered a "cooling" tonic that is used to
generally cool the body and reduce fever. It is also said to soothe
irritated tissues.
Considered an herbal laxative and a diuretic,
Bitter Melon is reputed to cleanse toxins from the system. In
traditional herbal medicine, the herb was a remedy for dysentery and a
treatment for colitis.
There is growing evidence that Bitter Melon may
be helpful in the treatment of Type-2, adult-onset diabetes. In
clinical and lab tests, the herb showed some ability to reduce rises in
blood sugar after eating. Constituents, charantin and polypeptide-b,
appeared to help reduce blood sugar and urine glucose levels in
subjects with diabetes mellitus; and by improving utilization of
carbohydrates, there was also a decrease in the frequency of urination,
but it is important to remember that diabetics should always
consult with a physician before embarking on a regime of Bitter Melon
supplements. Charantin is also thought to stimulate the pancreas to
produce more insulin. The March, 2008, issue of the international
journal, Chemistry & Biology, reported that scientists at
the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Shanghai Institute of
Materia Medica found four compounds in Bitter Melon that appear to
activate the enzyme AMPK, a protein well known for regulating fuel
metabolism and enabling glucose uptake, with the advantage that Bitter
Melon has no known side effects.
Bitter Melon is said to be a useful agent for treating
infections associated with retroviruses, including HIV. Extracts of
Balsam Pear are also thought to be more effective than popular
prescription drugs for destroying strains of herpes viruses (it is
believed to kill acyclovir-resistant herpes viruses), including Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome.
Bitter Melon is said to be an effective anthelmintic
that destroys parasites and expels worms from the intestinal tract, and
it is also considered a laxative herb that soothes irritated tissues of
the intestinal tract.
Bitter Melon has been used in traditional herbal
and folk remedies to help treat infections and some malignant diseases,
including leukemia, but no clinical trials have as yet proven these
claims. Preliminary research from the University of Colorado (2010)
suggests that extracts from Bitter Melon may interfere with chemical
pathways involved in cancer growth. The extracts turned off signals
telling the malignant breast cells to divide and switched on signals
encouraging them to commit suicide. The findings, which were published
in the journal, Cancer Research, indicated that although promising,
trials were still needed to establish its value without side effects.
For external use,
Bitter Melon has been known to relieve hemorrhoids, skin eruptions,
chapped skin, psoriasis and burns; and when added to a salve, it helps
to soothe skin irritations and reduce the itching of poison ivy.
In years past, a salve made from the fruit was a popular remedy with
quilters for healing sore and pricked fingertips.
Contraindications:
Pregnant women should avoid this product, as it may stimulate
uterine contractions. Bitter Melon Herbal Supplement should never be
used by those who suffer with hypoglycemia, since it may possibly worsen
or trigger low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Also, diabetics who take
prescription hypoglycemic drugs or insulin should not take Bitter Melon
unless under a physician's direction. Do not use Bitter Melon if you
have cirrhosis of the liver or a medical history of hepatitis or HIV
infection compounded by liver infection.
It is recommended that Bitter Melon should be used for four weeks only, and then discontinued for four weeks before beginning regimen again.
