Hi, I'm looking at the remains of an extensive garden of bittermelon
vines. Before I rip up the plants and bed the garden down for the
winter, it seems like a logical thing to try out the bittermelon greens
as a vegetable... I know they're eaten and I've heard they're often
sold in farmers' markets on the west coast, but I don't know any
details and have no recipes to try out.

The part which looks like a good bet is the growing tips of the vines -
ie, the new baby leaves and the twisty fronds at the very end of each
vine.

Are there any tricks to preparing these as a vegetable? Which parts of
the vine to eat / not eat, and are there additional preparation steps
(such as salting or soaking) which should be done before cooking?

Finally, has anyone a good recipe (or any recipe at all) for
bittermelon greens?

Best regards and thanks for any help.

krnntp

wrote:

> Finally, has anyone a good recipe (or any recipe at all) for
> bittermelon greens?

>
http://starbulletin.com/2002/05/15/f...ngredient.html

I've had them made into a sabji, if you like Panjabi cooking. Yours may
be too old.....
blacksalt

In China, bittermelon greens are considered medicinal rather than for
cooking. You can make a tea or even a compress out of it. Supposed to
drive away "internal heat" etc.

how to make punjabi karela / bitter melon ?

Regards ,
s

wrote:
> how to make punjabi karela / bitter melon ?
>
> Regards ,
> s
>

My exMIL made an espically oniony masala and stuffed it into a spilt,
seeded, salted-and-left-to sit, rinsed bittermelon (the kind with a
"soft" bumps, not the sharp ones), then sewed it shut with needle and
thread, and pan fried it slowly in ghee. WOW