The Bittergourd Challenge

I love my greens.
Ever since I was a little girl, mummy always told me that I was more of a herbivore than a carnivore. So throw any type of vegetables at me and I'm a happy girl.
But...don't throw me a bittergourd.
I've tried for years to get acquainted with the taste of it. But cannot la. It's so bitter. How people can eat it I also don't know.
I've tried it in yong tau foo. Blek!
I've tried it stir-fried with chicken. Blek!
I've tried it with soup. Blek!
So 2 weeks ago, a friend of mine challenged me to whip up a simple bittergourd dish, simply fried with diced garlic, shallots and eggs. She gave me a tip - to make it less bitter, soak it in salt for more than half an hour before slicing it up.




So I accepted that challenge.
I even soaked the gourd in salt water for more than an hour. Soak longer means less bitter mah, no meh?
In the end, SK ended up eating the dish more than me. I ate up all the eggs though. It was still too bitter for me. I did manage to force down about 5 slices and then I couldn't go on.
So, I failed the challenge this round.
But, it doesn't mean I've given up though. Was told that I should have sliced the gourd up thinner. The thinner it's sliced, the less bitter.
Ok. Next round, I shall try thinner slices AND I'll soak them in salt for half a day!
I WILL learn to eat them!