Bitter gourd is a healthy food option all the way
Its bitter taste repels most of us. Green in colour, tapering at both ends, Momordica Charantia, or the bitter gourd or bitter melon has a ridged surface. But what lies hidden behind those ridges are a host of medicinal properties.
It carries within itself some nutritional benefits. Dr. Pratima Grover, a dietician in New Delhi, states, “It's very good for diabetes. It helps in detoxifying our body. However, there is a general myth that its juice helps in diabetes, the fact is that juices alone won't do.”
Bitter gourd is enriched with dietary fibre. It has a high content of iron and potassium, explains, Tapasya Mundhra, a nutritionist associated with the Gold Gym and is also engaged in sports nutrition for players. “Bitter gourd is high in iron, potassium and vitamin C and also has an alkaline effect on our bodies. It contains a substance which is like insulin and lowers our sugar levels, so it is good for diabetes patients too.”
Bitter gourd is also good for weight conscious people. It helps in weight loss, says Tapasya. “It is low on calorie count and can be effectively used for weight loss. The juice helps in providing relief to people suffering from fatty liver problems.” The vegetable is effective against jaundice, asthma, rheumatism and gout, informs, Tapasya, “It's a miracle vegetable if used properly.”
Chef Manju Monga who runs her cookery classes in Gujranwala, shares a mouth watering recipe of this bitter veggie with us.
Bitter Gourd Casserole
Ingredients:
Bitter gourd - 1/2 kg
Potatoes - 1/2 kg (boiled and mashed)
Onions - 1 (finely chopped)
Coriander - finely chopped
Green chillies – finely chopped
Paneer - mashed
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - to taste
Tomatoes - 3 (cut into rounds)
Cream - 5 tbsp
Mozzarella cheese - 5 tbsp
Olive oil - 4 tbsp
Method:
1. Peel and wash the bitter gourd. Cut into round slices.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Shallow fry all the round slices till crisp and brown.
3. Mix mashed potatoes, coriander, green chillies, mashed paneer, onions, salt and pepper in a bowl.
4. Take an oven safe dish, grease with oil. Place all the fried pieces of bitter gourd at the bottom of the bowl.
5. Spread the potato mixture on each piece and cover it with the tomato slices.
6. Sprinkle cream and cheese on the top.
7. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes at 250 degree Celsius. Remove and serve hot.
Keywords: Bitter gourd, weight conscious people, dieting
Bitter gourd is also called Balsam pear.A good number of wellness products are available
made from fruits.They are Momordica tee,chips,pickles,juices and powders.It is an essential
ingredient of sambar.A natural nutritional food full of fibres,miinerals,vitamins and
antioxidants it is low calorific and alkaline.Recommended in the diet of diabetics by Nature
cure practitioners,bitter gourd is a medicinal cum vegetable viny plant.There is considerable
variability for vine length,fruit colour,shape,length,seediness and all bitter principle.Related
spiny gourd and sweet gourd are still in wild form.They are very popular in cities like
Bhubeneswar,Ranchi,Virudunagar in TN.Unlike bitter gourd,sweet gourd and spiny gourd
are propagated through suckers and seeds.Seedlings take more time to flower and set
fruits.
Like other things it depends on what you want . Whether you want the nutrients or you want your mouth to water. If you want the nutrients, the best way to eat karela is to eat it raw. For that you must be sure that it is fresh and tender. What you find in the market is usually overgrown with the seeds inside turning brown and hard. If you cannot eat it raw, the other way is to do what my grandmother used to do. Do a minimum of boiling and then mash it fine. She used to call it gojju or chutney. I find it a little difficult to call a preparation a vegetable dish with all the animal proteins and fats like Indian cheese (paneer), Italian cheese (mozzarella) and the cream. Maybe that is how it is done in Gujranwala.
I accept the fact that the most benefit of bitter guard comes from its fibre content. If the author can kindly explain what if there in bitter guard that is very specific which we can't get by eating other similar but at the sametimes tastier vegetables I would be humbled.. It's a myth to attribute medicinal and divine value for food.I think it is the right time that we look at the food for its nutritional value rather than for divine power.
Bitter guard is a boon in follwing problems:
1. Diabetes - improves glucose tolerance without increasing blood insulin levels.
2. Cholera- take two teaspoonfuls juice of bitter gourd leaves, mix with two teaspoonfuls white onion juice and one teaspoonful lime juice to get rid of from cholera.
3. Piles - 2-3 teaspoons of bitter guard leaf juice and mix it with buttermil and drink it empty stomach for one month.
4. Respiratory disorders - 3-4 teaspoon bittergourd juice with honey 2 teaspoon mixed with water( one cup) and drink it daily in the morning for asthma, pharyngitis and bronchitis.
lot of other problems can also be cured like
toxemia, blood disorders, eye problems, Better Immmune system .....
Good topic, Bitter guard is helpfull for people who are suffering from allergies as well since Vitamin E helps in that and for maintain the hemoglobin standard as well.
if we fry the bitter gourd till it becomes crisp and brown, as mentioned in above article, will the mineral contents still be in it?
When you add paneer, potato, tomato, cream and mozzarella cheese to
bitten melon nothing bitter is left anymore in the melon nor can you
expect the bitter melon to bestow its goods. The point to understand
here is to eat the bitter here not bitter soaked in other
sweet/heavy/rich tastes. No offense to the chef, the recipe looks good
as it is but it is not a healthful one for sure. The recipe hosts all
other heavy foods in the name of bitter melon.
Boil Karela in a salt water till it becomes tender,Gouge out the seeds
and central content.Stuff it with whatever you like,then lightly fry
it.Eat with bowl of rice.Heaven!
I do not think that the above recipe justifies the article. The article suggests the nutritional value of bitter gourd and if you follow the above recepie with oil, cream, and cheese, it defeats the purpose.
Bittergourd is a monoecious( male and female flowers separate but in same vine) tropical
cucurbit vegetable known for it's bitter but tasty fruit.The bitter fruit is recommended
against diabetics.An alkaloid momordicosoides in the fruit has hypoglycemic( lowering
sugar) property.Botanically bitter gourd is Momordica charantia.Two related species
M.dioeca and M.cochinchinensis are also edible.Former species is spiny gourd and later is
sweet gourd both diecious( male and female plants are separate ).Being viny crops,they
are grown on pandals or cylindrical frames.The first female flower appears 30-45 days after
seedlings are planted.Seeds are sown in polybags filled with germinating medium.There
are white / green/light green fruited varieties with long/ medium/short fruits.Fruit fly is the
serious pest which can be controlled by pheromone traps.There are many
varieties(Priya,Co-1 etc) and hybrids available.Dehydrated fruits,chips,momordica tees and
bitter gourd fruit bits are available
When will Indian newspapers stop promoting such high fat recipes? The karela recipe
not only has four tablespoons of oil, it also has 5 tablespoons of cream AND, hold it, 5
tablespoons of cheese. And it is supposed to be beneficial for weight loss and
diabetes? Give me a break. I cook karela with only one tablespoon of oil.
A great vegetable but why spoil all the health benefits with a recipe
that includes frying the vegetable, adding paneer, cream and cheese?
Super Vegetable!. But given receipe will spoil the medicinal value of this wonderful vegetable. Not mouth watering to me :).
Please Email the Editor