I’ve been having bitter melon all my life, and I never liked it as a kid. The name even tells you why. It’s BITTER. Of course as I’ve grown older, bitter melon has become one of my favorite vegetables to cook with.
There’s also a number of health benefits. Bitter melon can help manage blood sugar and packs Vitamin C and antioxidants that promote heart health by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Bitterness is an underappreciated taste, and bitter melon is a great way to introduce more bitter flavors into your kitchen. Luckily, there’s a simple, classic Chinese recipe that perfectly balances the sharp, bitter taste of bitter melon with savory goodness: the Bitter Melon Omelette. This is a fantastic comfort food hack that allows you to enjoy all the wellness perks by balancing bitter pucker with a hint of savory and, if you add some chili garnish, a kick of spicyness.
This omelette transforms bitter melon from a culinary challenge into a delicious, satisfying breakfast, lunch, or light dinner. The secret lies in a quick pre-preparation step combined with the richness of eggs and complementary aromatics like shallots. The eggs coat the small pieces of bitter melon, softening the intensity of its flavor while holding onto its fantastic texture. Ready to stop being afraid of this superfood? It’s time to whisk your way to a healthier plate!
Bittermelon Omelette
Ingredients
- 1-2 Bittermelon (depending on how bitter you want)
- 3 eggs
- 1-2 shallots
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (I use avocado oil)
- ½ tsp cooking wine
- ½ tsp corn starch
- ½ tbsp water
- 1 pinch white pepper (black pepper will also do)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp fried chili in oil (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Wash 1-2 Bittermelon and cut in half long-ways. Using a spoon, gut the insides by scooping the seeds and the white parts out.
- Chop bittermelon into as thin as possible slices to cook faster. Try to keep the slices of similar thickness for best results.
- Peel and chop 1-2 shallots into thin slices, similar to the thickness of the bittermelon.
- Heat up a large flat pan on medium heat and add 1 tbsp neutral oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped shallots and turn up the heat. Cook and stir briefly for 10-20 seconds.
- Add in chopped bittermelon and toss/stir. Cook for 6-8 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir occasionally.
- While the bittermelon is cooking, prepare eggs. Crack 3 eggs into a medium-size bowl and scramble using a fork.
- In a small bowl, add ½ tsp corn starch then ½ tbsp water. Stir together until the corn starch is evenly mixed into the water and no longer clumpy.
- Add ½ tsp cooking wine, 1 pinch white pepper, 1 pinch salt, and the corn starch mixture to the scrambled eggs. Give it another stir to mix well.
- Using a spatula or cooking chop sticks, evenly distribute the bittermelon slices in the pan. Add the scrambled eggs into the pan, and make sure the egg evenly coats the pan around the bittermelon. Cover the pan with a lid for 2 minutes.
- Remove the lid. The eggs should be partially cooked but not stuck to the pan. Flip the eggs and bittermelon, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until desired egg "done-ness". Turn off the heat and plate.
- Add garnish (optional). I like to use 1 tbsp fried chili in oil with my eggs. Eat with rice and other dishes. Enjoy!
Useful Tips
- Cut the bitter melon into as thin of slices as possible so that the bitter melon cooks faster. Also, keep the bitter melon slices as uniform thickness and overall size so the bitter melon cooks evenly. You don’t want to have some pieces overcooked and some under cooked.
- You can choose to add corn starch and water is optional, but I find it helps to make a creamier omelette.
- I like to make more of a pancake style versus a scrambled-egg style. This makes it easier to even out the bitter melon and egg. It’s also prettier, in my humble opinion.
- Pro tip: When flipping the pancake-style omelette, place a dish upside-down over the half-cooked omelette, pick up the pan with one hand, put your other hand on the underside of the dish (that’s facing up), then flip the pan. It’s make for a cleaner omelette. It’ll also impress your partner… the first time anyways.
- Garnish is optional, but if you want to add some spicy flavors, then I would recommend fried chili in oil. I LOVE this as a garnish/sauce with eggs in general. You can pick this up at a local Asian grocery store.
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