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Bitter Gourd

Bitter gourd is a ridged, bitter vegetable commonly stir-fried, stuffed, or added to curries and soups.

Bitter Gourd — illustrative ingredient image

About Bitter Gourd

Bitter gourd is a ridged, warty, elongated fruit used as a vegetable, with a firm green exterior and pale, crisp-to-spongy flesh surrounding a seeded centre. Its defining flavour is intensely bitter, though bitterness changes with maturity, variety, trimming, salting, and cooking.

It may be sold whole, halved, sliced, or with the seeds and inner pith removed. It is commonly stir-fried, stuffed, braised, added to curries, or simmered in soups.

Young fruits are often greener and firmer, while mature fruits can become more strongly coloured and softer with prominent seeds. Fresh, frozen, dried, and pickled forms occur, but this page concerns the fresh vegetable identity unless preparation is otherwise specified.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where bitter gourd appears

2 linked foods

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Main dishes

Sides

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for bitter gourd

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Bitter Gourd

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Bitter Gourd nutrition & diet

Bitter Gourd nutritional value

Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, raw

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
17kcal
Protein
1.0g
Carbs
3.7g
Fat
0.2g

Reference values for the specific food form shown. Other varieties, brands and preparations can differ.

Portions & preparation

Use the edible bitter-gourd flesh and specify whether seeds and inner pith were removed. Raw, salted and rinsed, boiled, stuffed, stir-fried, pickled, and curried forms differ through water loss and additions. Oil, batter, fillings, sauces, and cooking liquid should be documented with the preparation.

Compare the right form: Reference trimmed bitter-gourd fruit, specifying seed and pith removal plus raw, salted, boiled, stir-fried, stuffed, pickled, or curried form.

Diet considerations

Bitter gourd is a plant-derived fruit used as a vegetable. Plain preparations fit plant-based patterns, while stuffed or cooked versions may contain meat, fish, egg, dairy, or animal fat. Batter, sweetened sauces, cereal accompaniments, and portion size can alter carbohydrate patterns in the complete dish.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically compatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically compatible
The plain form fits the conventional paleo food groups. Added ingredients and individual interpretations can differ.
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, raw ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .