-
Preparation
20 minutes
-
Cooking
45 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Bitter melon has a slightly bitter taste, is very good for health, and especially when used to make vegetarian dishes, it will help you enjoy it more. Today, let’s join TasteVN cooking to immediately make the delicious and nutritious stuffed bitter melon with tofu stewed vegetarian dish!
Ingredients for Stuffed Bitter Melon with Stewed Tofu Serves 4
Bitter melon 400 grams (bitter gourd) White tofu 2 pieces (large size) Carrot 1 root Spring onion 1 stalk Wood ear mushroom 2 pieces (large) Fried tofu skin 1 sheet Coconut water 100 ml Chili 4 fruits Cooking oil a little Vegetarian seasoning 1.5 teaspoons Common spices a little (salt/ sugar/ pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh bitter melon
- Choose bitter melons that are of moderate size, elongated, with many tiny veins on the skin; when eaten, the bitterness will be milder.
- Avoid buying bitter melons that are dark green, have a swollen body, and smooth skin, as they may have been fertilized with too much nitrogen and growth stimulants.
How to choose good tofu
- Color: Good tofu will always have an off-white color. In contrast, tofu with gypsum will usually be yellower; the more yellow it is, the more gypsum it contains. Therefore, you should avoid buying pieces of tofu that are yellow or have a yellow tint.
- Touch: If the tofu feels soft and light to the touch, it is advisable to buy it. Pieces of tofu that are heavy, feel firm, slightly hard, and have a square shape should not be purchased, as they are often tofu mixed with gypsum.
- Smell: Pure tofu will have a fragrant smell, while tofu containing gypsum will smell like lime or have no smell at all.
- Taste: Good tofu will have the characteristic rich flavor of soybeans, while tofu with a lot of gypsum will taste astringent.
How to choose good wood ear mushrooms
- You should choose dried wood ear mushrooms, as they are safer than fresh ones.
- Choose mushrooms that have large, thick ears and small stems with few small mushrooms attached. The color of the mushrooms should be a dark amber, with a slightly shiny top and a milk coffee color on the underside.
- Avoid choosing black wood ear mushrooms that look too black, or those with a lot of white mold on the mushroom ears.
Tools Required
Bowl, cutting board, pan, knife, spoon,…
How to Prepare Stuffed Bitter Melon with Tofu
-
Prepare the Bitter Melon
Prepare half a basin of water and add 1/2 tablespoon of salt, stir well until the salt dissolves.
Cut the bitter melon into pieces about 2 cm thick, then use a knife (or spoon) to scrape out the seeds of the bitter melon.
Next, soak the bitter melon in the basin of salted water for 5 minutes to clean it and reduce the bitterness.
Wash the bitter melon thoroughly with cold water and let it drain.
-
Make the stuffing
Soak the wood ear mushrooms in water for about 2 hours until they swell, then rinse them with cold water. Next, finely chop the wood ear mushrooms.
Peel the carrots, rinse them, and finely chop them.
Add the finely chopped wood ear mushrooms and carrots to a large bowl, then crush the tofu skin and add it to the bowl.
Next, add white tofu, 1/2 teaspoon of vegetarian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper to the bowl.
Then, mash the white tofu and mix all these ingredients together. Let the stuffing sit for 5 minutes to absorb the spices evenly.
-
Stuff and fry the bitter melon
Stuff the filling into the center of the bitter melon with a sufficient amount, using chopsticks to press the filling evenly on both sides of the bitter melon.
Place a pan on the stove, heat a little oil, then add the bitter melon to fry.
Fry until the bottom of the bitter melon is slightly golden, then turn it over, frying until both sides are evenly golden. Then remove the bitter melon.
-
Braised bitter melon
Wash the green onions, cut off the leaves, and finely chop.
Heat fresh oil in a pan and sauté the chopped green onions until fragrant.
When the onions are golden and fragrant, add 100ml of coconut water, 3 tablespoons of water, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon of chili powder, then stir well to dissolve the seasoning.
After the seasoning has dissolved, add the bitter melon and braise on low heat. After about 2 minutes, turn the bitter melon over to evenly absorb the seasoning on both sides.
Braise for another 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and add 3-4 chili peppers for a more appealing look.
Tip: You should not braise on high heat as it will cause the water to evaporate quickly and not penetrate the bitter melon, which can also make the tofu filling easily break apart.Finally, adjust the seasoning to suit your family’s taste, then scoop the bitter melon onto a plate to enjoy.
-
Final product
The braised bitter melon dish should be served with white rice. When eaten, you can feel the bitter melon is tender, the filling is both soft and fragrant with tofu, and the wood ear mushrooms are chewy, crunchy, and extremely light. Let’s make the stuffed bitter melon with tofu braised vegetarian for the whole family to enjoy!
See more:
So you have completed the dish bitter melon stuffed with braised vegetarian tofu, wish you success in making the dish and enjoy it with your family deliciously!
*Refer to images and recipes from the YouTube channel Delicious Dishes
