Stuffed Bitter Melon
A Zhejiang-style dish with a delicately savory taste and unique flavor.
Ingredients
bitter melon
500 g
pork belly
300 g
egg
1
salt
a pinch
soy sauce
to taste
minced scallion
a pinch
minced ginger
a pinch
cornstarch slurry
a pinch
cornstarch
a pinch
chicken bouillon powder
0.5 tsp
Shaoxing wine
0.5 tsp
sugar
0.5 tsp
Instructions
1
Step 1
Wash the pork belly and mince it into a fine paste. Add the minced scallion, minced ginger, soy sauce, cornstarch, and egg, then mix well to form the meat filling. Set aside.
2
Step 2
Wash the bitter melon, remove the stem, and cut it into 2 cm segments. Use a spoon to scoop out the pulp, forming hollow tubes. Salt the tubes for 2 minutes, then drain off any liquid. Evenly coat the inner walls of the bitter melon tubes with a thin layer of cornstarch, fill them with the meat mixture, and smooth both ends flat.
3
Step 3
Pour 2 tbsp of oil into a wok and heat until warm. Place the stuffed bitter melon segments in the pan and pan-fry until golden brown. Add 3 tbsp of water along with the chicken bouillon powder, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sugar, then bring to a boil. Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry and serve immediately.
