I would say this is a staple dish I constantly have in the fridge. I usually cook a large portion, enough to last for the week's lunch and dinner. It is a dish I can eat everyday. Whenever I reheat this at work, the fragrance of the black bean sauce makes my colleagues' and my mouth water. So last week, I made some for them to share. The bitter melon lovers loved them, but the others, who didn't like bitter food, didn't like these melons unfortunately.
The seeds are edible so you do not need to remove them. Actually after the stir-fry process, the seeds feel rather crunchy and taste really good. Sometimes I find the seeds taste even better than the melons themselves.
The preserved black beans can be found in most Asian stores. They need to be rinsed a few times to get rid of the extra salt or grit before use.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Chinese Bitter Melon
3 tablespoons Chinese Preserved Black Bean, rinsed
1 head of Garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Wine
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
DIRECTION:
1. Combine garlic and black beans on a cutting board. Chop them until fine. Add the bean mixture and the oil in the pan; fry it over low heat until fragrant. It is about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cut the melons lengthwise and then cut it into about 1 cm slices. Leave out the seeds if prefered.
3. Turn up the heat to the highest. Add the melons in the pan and fry until they are bright green; about 10 minutes. Add cooking wine and allow it to evaporate.
4. Add about 1/3 cup water, sugar and salt. Cover the lid, cook the melons on medium for about 10 minutes and the sauce has thickened. Best served with steamed rice.
No comments:
Post a Comment