According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, any food that has a bitter edge is good for cleansing the liver and can help to bring down raised blood pressure. Bitter gourd, also known as bitter melon, fulfills this role brilliantly Its tanginess is appetizing as well as beneficial, and the piquant sambal enhances the taste greatly.
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 1 whole bitter gourd
- 30 ml/2 tablespoons oil
- 30 ml/2 tablespoons sambal goreng (fried chili paste)
- 100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup water
- 5 ml/1 teaspoon sugar
- 15 ml/1 tablespoon lime juice
Method:
Cut the bitter gourd in half down its length. Use a spoon to scoop out the pith and red seeds. Slice into half moon pieces each 1 cm/½ inch wide.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the bitter gourd for 2 minutes. Drain. This removes some bitterness and shortens the cooking time.
Heat the oil and fry the sambal goreng for just 1 minute, as it is already cooked. Add the pieces of gourd and stir-fry rapidly for 3 minutes.
Add the water, sugar and lime juice and continue to stir for another 2 minutes until the ingredients are well blended. Serve hot.