Bitter gourd, also known as bitter melon or bitter cucumber, is one of the extremely healthy vegetables. However, it has a strong bitter taste that many people are reluctant to eat.
Bitter gourd contains many vitamins, minerals, and fiber that help balance blood sugar, strengthen digestion, and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. With this ingredient, you can create many delicious dishes such as stir-fried bitter gourd with eggs, bitter gourd soup with snakehead fish, bitter gourd salad with dried shrimp… However, the most familiar and popular dish is stuffed bitter gourd with meat. Let’s learn how to make stuffed bitter gourd with meat with the simple recipe below.
1. Ingredients for stuffed bitter gourd with meat:
– Bitter gourd: 2 fruits
– Pork
– Eggs: 1 egg
– Seasonings: Soy sauce, salt, oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch
2. Steps to make stuffed bitter gourd with meat:
Step 1: Prepare the ingredients
– After buying pork, wash it and cut it into medium-sized pieces. Then, mince it or put it in a grinder. Do not mince the meat too finely for a better taste when stuffed.
– Wash the bitter gourd and cut it into small rounds, about 3 cm in size. Then, use a knife to remove the seeds. It is best to remove as many seeds as possible and scrape off the white part inside to reduce the bitterness of the gourd.
Step 2: Mix the filling
– Put the minced pork into a bowl, then add the egg and mix well for the ingredients to blend together.
– Then, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce. Mix with your hands in one direction until the mixture becomes sticky.
Step 3: Blanch the bitter gourd
– Put a pot of water on the stove, add a little cooking oil and salt, then bring it to a boil.
– Next, blanch the prepared bitter gourd in the simmering water for about 2 minutes, then remove it. This method not only helps maintain the green color of the gourd but also reduces the bitterness of the dish.
Step 4: Stuff the bitter gourd and steam
– Stuff the minced meat into the bitter gourd until it is all used.
– Pour enough water into a pot and bring it to a boil. Then, steam the stuffed bitter gourd for about 15 to 20 minutes.
– During the steaming process, the bitter gourd will release some water. Instead of discarding it, pour it into a small pot, add cornstarch and oyster sauce, mix well, and cook until you get a thick, sticky sauce. When the sauce is boiling, pour it back onto the steamed stuffed bitter gourd and serve.
This method of making stuffed bitter gourd with meat will give the dish a very attractive aroma. It is a harmonious combination of minced pork and bitter gourd, which is delicious, nutritious, and not fattening.
3. Tips when making stuffed bitter gourd with meat:
– When mixing the pork filling, the more elastic it is, the easier it is to stuff into the bitter gourd without falling apart. You can add a little cornstarch to make the meat fresher and softer. The addition of eggs prevents the meat from clumping after cooking.
– If you want a stronger flavor, you can serve the stuffed bitter gourd with a dipping sauce made from chili garlic sauce and fish sauce.
– Depending on your taste and preferences, you can also add other ingredients to the filling such as mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms…
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