When I was a kid, I didn't like bitter melon a bit. I thought it is too bitter for my taste. As I grew older, I started to enjoy this slightly bitter after taste. And I learned that bitter melon is actually very healthy. Just like any dark green vegetables, it contains a lot of vitamins. Though, you still don't want it to be too bitter. One of the trick is boiling it for 10 minutes and add some sugar while stir-frying it. Hope you enjoy this recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Bitter Melons
300 grams Spare Ribs, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons Chinese Preserved Black Beans
1 Head Garlic
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Cornstarch
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil, (more for stir-frying)
DIRECTION:
1. Rinse the preserved black beans; peel garlic. Chop them until they are fine.
2. In a mixing bowl, add chopped garlic, chopped black beans, spare ribs, and salt; mix well. Leave it to marinate for about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut the bitter melons lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Cut the melon into about 1 cm slices.
4. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add bitter melons. Boil them until they are cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain well. Run the bitter melon under running water to stop the cooking process; drain again.
5. Heat up about 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat. Add the ribs and stir fry until they are nearly cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
6. Drizzle cooking wine; add sugar.
7. Add the cooked melon. Continuously stir-fry until the melons heat through.
8. Sprinkle over the cornstarch; stir until the sauce is thicken. Turn off the heat. Serve it with steamed rice.
