Quinoa Stuffed Bitter Melon and Bell Peppers with Curry Sauce

     For my local friends bitter melon is a familiar vegetable that they may use in stir fries or soups. For my family and friends in the United States I can bet most of them have never heard of bitter melon. Let me introduce you to bitter melon! It looks like a cucumber with bumpy skin. It taste bitter but not in a lip puckering sour kind of way. I honestly can not think of one other food item to compare it with. Bitter isn't a taste that is common in the foods I usually prepare. It is truly a unique taste in its own right. Probably not a taste most kids would like as it is a more sophisticated adult vegetable.

     Bitter melon grows as a vine in the tropics and subtropics. It is a member of the squash family. There are different varieties used in Indian, Chinese, African, Caribbean and Japanese cuisines. In Japan it is referred to as Goyo and grows in the Okinawa region. Okay, need I say any more...this is another one of those super foods packed with lots of health benefits! A little bit goes a long way so if you come across bitter melon don't go crazy and buy a large quantity, about a 5" length or less is enough per serving. Select firm, unblemished melons. Melons that are still green are more bitter than ones that are yellow-orange.

     When cooking bitter melon it helps to take the time to remove some of the bitterness before cooking. I have suggested how to do this below in the cooking instructions. Bitter melon works well in recipes that use strong flavors such as spices or sauces to help balance the bitterness. Here I have chosen to make it with a curry sauce or gravy. Of course I don't want anyone to feel they can't make this recipe because they don't have bitter melon so I have prepared it also with red bell pepper as an alternative.

     This recipe has layers of flavors and several steps in the cooking process that can be done in advance. None of the steps are difficult to do but if you are one that doesn't have a lot of time to prepare this dish then break it up into manageable time slots. It will be worth it!! The flavors are so delicious I would want to serve this dish to company. Be adventurous and try bitter melon if you have a chance.

Quinoa Stuffed Bitter Melon & Bell Pepper with Curry Sauce

Serves 2-3

(this recipe can be doubled to serve more)

Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-egg-gluten free

printable recipe

Ingredients

Curry sauce:

If you want to skip this step then buy a premade red curry sauce (one that is more Indian flavor than Thai or Asian). I like to make curry sauce so that I can control the ‘heat’ from the chiles that are often too hot for me when I buy premade. This sauce can be made a few days in advance, refrigerator until ready to use.

2 T. cooking oil*

½ c. finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic minced

1” piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1-2 T. red curry paste** (use the amount that appeals to your taste, start with a smaller amount if you aren't sure)

½ t. ground turmeric

½ t. ground cumin

¼ cup curry leaves***

1 can coconut milk (do not shake or stir)

Season to taste with- 1 T. soy sauce & 1 T. lime juice or salt & pepper

Optional- if you want more spice heat then add a red pepper or jalapeño pepper

*Use a healthy high heat cooking oil such as coconut, grapeseed, safflower or olive oils.

** I use Thai Kitchen red curry paste. It is vegan-vegetarian and very mild for the 'chili heat'. If you are cooking vegan or vegetarian check that your premade curry paste does not have shrimp paste or fish sauce.

*** If you don’t have fresh curry leaves then look for dried leaves in Indian or Asian markets. I am given branches of fresh leaves from the owner of our Indian market. I dry the leaves in the microwave and store them in an airtight container. For this dish, if you don’t have any curry leaves it is okay to omit. Curry leaves are amazingly delightful so try and find some!

Stuffing:

¾ - 1 c. cooked quinoa (don’t forget to rinse the quinoa before cooking to remove the bitterness)

1-2 T. cooking oil*

½ celery stalk, chopped

½ c. onion, chopped

2 t. garam masala*

½ t. ginger powder

½ t. cumin powder or 1 tsp. cumin seed

1 roma tomato, chopped

2 cups baby spinach

¼ - ½ c. water

*Garam masala can be bought premade. It is a blend of ground spices.

Other:

1 bitter melon (about 5” length per person serving)

1 red bell pepper (1 half per person serving)

Directions

Curry Sauce-

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onions, sauté for a few minutes until the onions soften and become translucent. Add the ginger and garlic, cook another minute, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the red curry paste, turmeric and cumin. Stir to combine all the ingredients. It should smell nice and aromatic now!

2. Spoon the coconut cream from the top of the coconut milk can, into the skillet. This should be about a third of the can. Once everything is combined, stir in another third of the can (now coconut milk). What is left in the bottom of the can should be watery (coconut water). Last stir in the curry leaves. The curry sauce should be thick like gravy. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes. If needed, thin with the remaining coconut water, adding a little bit at a time. If using the curry sauce immediately, transfer to a small saucepan to keep warm until ready to serve.

Stuffing- like the curry sauce, this step can also be made in advance

 1. In a large skillet, on medium heat, heat the cooking oil. When hot, add the onion and celery, sauté for a few minutes until the onion becomes translucent and the vegetables soften. Add the garam masala, ginger and cumin powder. Cook for a few minutes, stirring to combine. This is when it gets nice and aromatic! Add the tomato and baby spinach. If needed add a small amount of water to help things combine. Cook for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

Prepare the bitter melon and bell pepper-

Cut the bitter melon on one side, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the fibrous inside and seeds.

 To help remove some of the bitterness from the bitter melon, you can parboil it. Another method is to salt it generously (after the inside fiber and seeds are removed), like you would an eggplant, let sit for about 10 – 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. I usually parboil it.

Place the bitter melon in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then remove it from the boiling water and place in a bowl of ice water.

Dry the bitter melon with a paper towel. In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Use tongs to brown all sides of the bitter melon. Remove from the pan, place on top of paper towel.

The only prep for the bell pepper is to wash it, cut it in half length wise, remove the seeds and white veins.

To Assemble and Cook-

1. Preheat the oven to 425°

2. Place the bitter melon and bell pepper into a baking dish. Generously stuff each one with the Quinoa Stuffing mix.

3. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes you may need to cover the baking dish with aluminum foil to help steam and soften the vegetables. The vegetables should be tender but still have some firmness.

To Serve- Spoon a generous amount of warmed curry sauce on a plate. Then place one piece of bitter melon and one bell pepper on each plate.