Bitter Melon with Pork Stuffing
Easy-prep bitter melon with pork stuffing is delicious, juicy, and tender with a flavourful broth to boot. Perfect for busy days!
Ingredients
- 2 bitter melons medium-sized
- 1 tsp salt
- 600 g minced pork
- 2 large yellow or red onion finely diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp ginger minced
- 1 tbsp garlic or shallot oil optional
Seasonings:
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt or just a pinch
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp corn starch
For Garnishing (optional):
- coriander roughly chopped
- red chilli seeds removed and sliced thinly
Instructions
- Prep the bitter melon: Wash and pat the bitter melon dry. Cut the length into rings about 1 inch (2 cm) thick. Using a metal spoon, scrape put the pith and seeds, leaving the centres hollow. Rub salt into the slices and let sit for 15 minutes while you make the stuffing. Wash thoroughly to rid of excess salt.
- Make the pork stuffing: In a large mixing bowl, place the minced pork, chopped onions, garlic, ginger, sauces, seasonings, and corn starch. With a fork, mix everything together until the stuffing becomes a sticky paste and bits of meat start sticking to the sides of the bowl (feel free to use your hands and work that mixture!)
- Fill with stuffing. Stuff bitter melon slices with the pork stuffing. Fill the hollow centres completely and mound a bit over the inside edges as the meat will shrink away from the edges when cooked. Arrange on a heatproof plate or steaming dish.
- Steam. Prepare a steamer. Once the water is boiling, place the dish in the steamer. Steam for 25 - 30 minutes or until the pork stuffing is cooked through. To check, pierce the stuffing with the tip of a small knife. Once the juices run clear, the stuffing is cooked.
- Serve. Remove the dish from the steamer. Transfer to a serving plate. Drizzle flavoured garlic or shallot oil if available (optional) and pour the juices over the stuffed bitter melon rings. Garnish with chopped coriander and red chilli (optional). Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 223kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 43mg, Sodium: 592mg, Potassium: 277mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 94IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a review in the section below, and tag @foodelicacy on Instagram and hashtag it #foodelicacy so I can see!
