THE CHINESE CUCURBITS - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 54

Add soy sauce, minced garlic, ginger, and a bit of chicken broth, and reheat, stirring to
blend. If you prefer less garlic flavor, add the garlic when you first cook the melon.
COOKED GREEN (LEAVES) . The young leaves of bitter melon can be steamed and used
as cooked greens. Do not eat the seeds. They are a strong purgative (an especially
strong type of laxative) and definitely not something to sample.
RELISH . Parboiled bitter melon can be made into a tangy relish that's especially good
served with a flaky white-fleshed fish. Marinate the parboiled melon for 2 hours in rice
or cider vinegar mixed with an equal amount of water, a little sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Drain the melon, slice thinly, and serve.
OTHER USES . For an American dish, try parboiling bitter melon for 5 minutes, then
adding it to a skillet of braised veal and carrots for the last 30 minutes of cooking. For a
quick Chinese soup, simmer small chunks of bitter melon in chicken broth until tender.