Bitter Gourd/Melon or Foo Kua in Cantonese
A pale green vegetable with red seeds and a pithy centre. Popular with southrn Chinese, Southeast Asians and Indians as a vegetable, which grows to about 25 cm in length. As the name suggests, the flesh of the vegetable is bitter, caused by the presence of quinine. The effect can be reduced by soaking the slices in salt water before cooking. The bitter quality is prized by Asians.
To prepare the vegetable, slice in half, remove the seed and pith with a spoon, sliced thinly or cut into batons. Popular among the Cantonse is to stir-fry with meat and black bean sauce. The Indians coat them with chickpea flour, salt and turmeric and deep-fried till crisp. The Hakkas in Malaysia cut the melon into rings, remove the pith and seeds and stuff with fish paste or a combination of fish paste and pork mince.
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