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Karela

Momordica charantia
Momordica charantia Blanco2.357.png
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Momordica
Species: M. charantia
Binomial name
Momordica charantia
L.
Bitter gourd pods
boiled, drained, no salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 79 kJ (19 kcal)
4.32 g
Sugars 1.95 g
Dietary fiber 2 g
0.18 g
0.84 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.
(1%)
6 μg
(1%)
68 μg
1323 μg
Thiamine (B1)
(4%)
0.051 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
(4%)
0.053 mg
Niacin (B3)
(2%)
0.28 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
(4%)
0.193 mg
Vitamin B6
(3%)
0.041 mg
Folate (B9)
(13%)
51 μg
Vitamin C
(40%)
33 mg
Vitamin E
(1%)
0.14 mg
Vitamin K
(5%)
4.8 μg
Minerals
Calcium
(1%)
9 mg
Iron
(3%)
0.38 mg
Magnesium
(5%)
16 mg
Manganese
(4%)
0.086 mg
Phosphorus
(5%)
36 mg
Potassium
(7%)
319 mg
Sodium
(0%)
6 mg
Zinc
(8%)
0.77 mg
Other constituents
Water 93.95 g

Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Momordica charantia, known as bitter melon, bitter gourd, bitter squash, or balsam-pear, is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit. Its many varieties differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit. Bitter melon also has names in other languages which have entered English as loanwords, e.g. goya from Okinawan, Hāgala (ಹಾಗಲ) in Kannada, pākal (பாகல்) in Tamil and karela from Sanskrit. In Bengali, it is known as উচ্ছে (uchche). Those from the Caribbean island of Jamaica commonly refer to the plant as cerasee. In Brazil this plant is called Saint Cajetan's Melon (melão-de-são-caetano).

Bitter melon originated in India and was introduced into China in the 14th century. It is widely used in East Asian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian cuisine.

This herbaceous, tendril-bearing vine grows up to 5 m (16 ft) in length. It bears simple, alternate leaves 4–12 cm (1.6–4.7 in) across, with three to seven deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears separate yellow male and female flowers. In the Northern Hemisphere, flowering occurs during June to July and fruiting during September to November.

The fruit has a distinct warty exterior and an oblong shape. It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large, flat seeds and pith. The fruit is most often eaten green, or as it is beginning to turn yellow. At this stage, the fruit's flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to cucumber, chayote or green bell pepper, but bitter. The skin is tender and edible. Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits; they are not intensely bitter and can be removed before cooking.


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Wikipedia

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