tweak and nourish

BITTERMELON AND EGGS. I refused to eat bittermelon when I was a child. It all changed when I tasted my uncle's dish with just eggs added to the bittermelon. I have tried to recreate it over the years and finally settled on my own version.

I was gifted the freshest bittermelon last month. My friend got it from her cousin who grows the plant in her backyard. To get the most out of its freshness, I cooked it the day I received it. I started with cutting the bittermelon lengthwise and removing the seeds. Then, I sliced it and soaked in salted water for 15 minutes to reduce the bitterness. It is important to rinse off the salt from the bittermelon prior to cooking. After rinsing and straining the bittermelon pieces, I heat up a pan with grapeseed oil (you may use other oils), sauté sliced onions and chopped garlic. I added the bittermelon, chopped tomatoes, and vegetable stock when the onions caramelized. Bring to a boil and simmer. When the bittermelon is tender with a little bit of crunch, create a space in the middle of the pan for the the scrambled eggs to cook. Add a little bit of oil before pouring the eggs. Let the eggs form before scrambling. Mix the eggs with the bittermelon. Season with salt, soy sauce, and ground black pepper.

Bittermelon on a bed of Persian Rice