Go Back

PORK STUFFED BITTER MELON IN CARAMELIZED SAUCE

Print Recipe
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 2 bitter melons  (hollowed and cut ends off)
  • 2 tsp  Cooking oil
  • 1 clove  Garlic
  • 2 tsp  Soy Sauce
  • 2 tsp  Oyster Sauce
  • ½ tsp  Grated ginger
  • Spring onions
  • ½ tsp  Black Pepper

Filling

  • 1 ½  lbs Ground Pork
  • 1 Small onion
  • 1 clove Garlic Chopped
  • mung bean noodles Soaked, cut to shorten the length
  • 2 tsp  Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp  White Pepper
  • 1 tsp  Salt
  • 1 tsp  Chicken powder
  • 1 tsp  Onion powder
  • 2 tsp  Fish sauce

Instructions
 

Prep

  • Cut bittermelons into thirds (Optional: rub it in salt and let it sit for an hour before rinsing to reduce bitterness)
  • Mix all the ingredients for the pork filling
  • Stuff melon: get the meat tightly packed in with a small spoon. You can cover the other end with the palm of you hand to keep the filling from spilling out on the other side.
  • Optional: Bring a big pot of water to a boil and carefully place each stuffed melon into the pot. Reduce heat to medium and cover the pot. Let it simmer for about 30-40 minutes
  • Take the stuffed melon out and let it cool. Once it’s done cooling, slice each melon into 1 ½ inch pieces and set aside to saute later.

Directions

  • With an oiled pan on medium high heat, lightly stirfry garlic and ginger until slightly golden and fragrant.
  • Place bittermelon into the pan and brown each side (about 1-2 minutes each side). Take out of pan and set aside.
  • Mix in soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and simmer for a few minutes until sauce slightly thickens. If it’s too thick, add a tsp of water 
  • Reduce heat to low and mix in the spring onions. Gently mix the stuffed melons into the sauce for a minute and turn off heat and garnish with black pepper and a few final sprinkles of soy sauce on top. This can be eaten with rice or on its own.