Bitter Melon Curry

I am behind on my blogging. This dinner happened three days ago!

I served the curried bitter melon and eggplant along with brown basmati rice as an accompaniment to chicken tikka. Another side dish of dal (curried lentils) could be added to the menu, but I served cold Greek style yoghurt instead, to keep the number of carbs (and calories) in the meal down. I also added a small bowl of mango chili pickle to the table.

T brought wine as usual; this time, both a red and a white, to see which would stand up to the strong flavors the best. The red was Tuscan; a 2003 Monte Antico, and the white was a '99 Gewurz from Alsace. Both wines held up very well, but the white, with its bold fruit, was preferred by consensus.

We found that the bitter curry benefited by mixing in some of the pickle, each to a different degree. T used more pickle than I did. The mildness of the chicken tikka was a big advantage, given the strength of flavors in the side dishes. The surprise was, despite its bitterness, we both liked it! We liked it well enough to reprise the meal with leftovers a couple of days later.

Bitter Melon and Eggplant Curry

2 tbsp. canola oil
1 whole yellow onion, chopped finely
1-1/2 tsp. whole coriander seeds
1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
3 tsp. chili powder (or substitute 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh chili)
2 tsp. turmeric powder
600 grams of chopped bitter melon
550 grams of cubed eggplant
Salt to taste (I used approx. 1 tsp.)

Saute the onions in the canola oil until they're transparent and limp. Grind the whole fresh seasonings with the turmeric and chili powder and add them to the onions. Add the bitter melon and eggplant, cover and lower the heat. Cook until you get a pleasing texture when you bite into the melon. Add salt to taste. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves (cliantro) if desired.

Makes 7 200-gram servings.

Here is the nutritional analysis for one serving of the curried bitter melon:
Fat =4.5 g
Protein = 3 g
Carbs = 13.25 g
Sodium = 216 mg
Fiber 5 g
Calories 97

Fat - 37.6% (31 grams)
Protein - 12.1% (22 grams)
Carbohydrates - 50.3% (93 grams)
Sodium - 1517 mg
Fiber - 34 grams

Calories Grams Fat Carbs Protein
677 1,386 31 93 222

Bitter melon is supposed to be beneficial for those trying to keep their blood sugar level even; it is recommended as a supplement to people with hypoglycemia and diabetes because of its effects of lowering plasma lipids and VLDL. My hunch is, you can learn to love this vegetable, but it will take some time and experimentation. I bought another bitter melon today, this one quite ripe, and will try another recipe this week.