Name: Salted Bitter Melon and Green Tomatoes Recipe
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 bitter melon; Kosher salt; 2 green tomatoes or firm, unripe red tomatoes

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By Genevieve Ko

July 24, 2019

As its name promises, bitter melon is very bitter. Angela Dimayuga salts it to tame its bitterness and pairs it raw with tart, crisp green tomato. This dish is too intense to eat on its own; it serves to cut through the richness of buttery sauces.

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1 bitter melon

Kosher salt

2 green tomatoes or firm, unripe red tomatoes

Scrub the bitter melon clean and trim the ends. Halve the melon lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each half crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick half-moon slices.

Place in a bowl, add 1 ½ tablespoons salt, and gently massage the salt into the bitter melon until evenly mixed. Let stand for at least 45 minutes.

When ready to serve, cut the green tomatoes crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick slices. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with salt. Lift the bitter melon out of any accumulated juices and arrange over the tomatoes.

Make Ahead:

The salted bitter melon can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Genevieve Ko

Genevieve Ko is the former cooking editor for the Los Angeles Times. She is a cookbook author and has been a food writer, editor and recipe developer for national food media outlets. Ko graduated from Yale after a childhood in Monterey Park.