19/01/2024
NEW IN THIS WEEK! 🤩
Orka, Bitter melon, Bottle Gourd.
Used extensively in Indian and south-east Asian cooking, these vegetables are healthy and add new flavours to your cooking.
From the same family as squash, okra can be fried, grilled, pickled, sauteed, or stewed. Okra mild grassy flavour, comparable to green beans or eggplant. The texture goes from crisp and juicy when cooked quickly to a kind of melt-in-the-mouth creamy, tender texture when cooked low and slow. When you slice or cut the okra before cooking, it releases a sticky gel which acts as a thickener in curries and other stews. To avoid this, cook the okra whole - for example in a stir-fry, shallow or deep fry. For more info on how to cook okra, check out https://www.alphafoodie.com/how-to-cook-okra/
Bitter Melon - also known as Bitter Gourd - is a cucumber shaped unripe fruit used extensively in Asian cooking. It has been traditionally used to treat diabetes. Bitter melon contains a chemical that acts like insulin to help reduce blood sugar levels. Slice it length-wise, scoop out the seeds and white pith from the middle. Stuff with pork, steam for 20 minutes and top with black bean sauce. Of slice it up for a stir-fry. If it's too bitter for your liking, blanche it for 2 minutes in boiling water. This will make it less bitter.
Also known as Bottle Gourd or Calabash - as they mature, they shape like a bottle - Long Melon is used in Indian and South-east Asian cooking. Slice length-wise, scoop out the seeds and pith, then slice across and add to curries, tagines or stir-fries.