18 Aug 2010

Bitter gourd salad with egg sauce

Today I will cook a salad with this seasonal vegetable called bitter gourd ("goya" or "nigauri" in Japanese). Bitter gourd used to be eaten by people in Okinawa but it has become popular and now you can find it everywhere in Japan, even in Hokkaido.

One of the reasons why it became popular was because its nutrient-richness can help you go over the summer heat. It's too bitter to eat by itself so usually you stir-fry it with meat, another vegetables and tofu etc. As they say "bitter things do good to the stomach", this healthy diet vegetable has attracted people!

This time I want to make a cold salad. I will make it less bitter by microwaving, washing with a cold water and mixing with mayonnaise & egg.
Ingredients:
bitter gourd (1)
egg (1)
mayonnaise
salt and pepper

1- Slice the bitter gourd, put some salt around and microwave or boil for 2-3 minutes. Wash it in a cold water and drain the water.

2- Boil the egg. Crush it with a spoon and mix with mayonnaise, salt and pepper.

3- Mix 1 and 2 well.

Itadakimasu.