The bitter melon recipe is enhanced with spices, sugar and cooked crispy so to reduce some of the bitterness. However, it will still be adequately bitter.
Start by cutting off the ends of the bitter melon and slice it lengthwise, so that you can remove and discard the seed core of the fruit.
If you want to reduce the bitterness to a minimum, then blanch them by keeping the slices for 2-3 minutes in boiling water and afterwards cool them in ice water (drain water well).
Cut the vegetable into slices.
In a frying pan heat 2 Tbs (of the 3 mentioned in the ingredients) oil and add the bitter melon slices, stir fry on high heat for 3-5 min.
Take out from the pan, shake off excess oil and keep aside.
Cut the Onion, Tomato, chop the Garlic and Coriander and keep the freshly scraped Coconut ready, as mentioned in the ingredients.
Take a clean frying pan and fry the Onion translucent and throw in the garlic and tomato, frying for a while.
Now add the shredded Coconut and stir fry till the color changes to a golden brown and add very small amount of water, so that it doesn't stick on the pan from now on.
After that you can add the bitter melon slices and the Garam masala, Turmeric powder, Cumin Powder, Chili powder, Coriander powder, Sugar, Salt, chopped Cilantro/Coriander leaves and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Finished! You just cooked your first Bitter Melon dish. You can garnish (optional) with chaat masala seasoning or black rock salt, more fresh cilantro/coriander leaves and serve hot as a side dish. See serving suggestions in the post.
Notes
1. The longer you stir fry it crispy (almost dark) the less bitter the bitter melon will be. 2. The combination of oil, sweetness, spices, heat and other ingredients tone down the bitterness in this bitter melon recipe. 3. You can reduce the spice amount, however, it's not necessary as the dish is not spicy hot but rather flavorful. 4. Bitter Melon is usually always eaten in smaller quantities with other meals as a side dish