Bitter melon is a type of vegetable that has a bitter taste and contains many nutrients beneficial for the body. Especially when used to prepare vegetarian dishes, the flavor of bitter melon becomes even more delicious and refreshing. Let’s join TasteVN in the kitchen to immediately make 4 ways to cook bitter melon with pepper, soy sauce, fermented soybean paste, and delicious vegetarian fish sauce!
1. Bitter melon cooked with pepper
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Bitter Melon Cooked with Pepper Serves 3 – 4 people
Bitter melon 300 gr Fish sauce 3 tablespoons Soy sauce 2 tablespoons Coloring sauce 1 tablespoon Pepper 1/2 teaspoon Sugar 2 tablespoons Cooking oil 2 tablespoons
Ingredient image
How to cook Bitter Melon with Pepper
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Prepare the bitter melon
Wash the bitter melon, remove all the seeds, and you can cut it into small pieces for easy eating.
Note: You can keep the bitter melon whole, without cutting it if you use the type of bitter melon that is long.
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Bitter Melon Stew
Place a pot on the stove, then add 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of color sauce, then stir well.
When the mixture boils, add 100ml of water, 300g of bitter melon, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, then stew on high heat for about 10 – 15 minutes.
After stewing for 10 – 15 minutes, drizzle 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over the bitter melon, sprinkle a little pepper, and then turn off the heat.
Note: Drizzling oil over the bitter melon helps create shine, making the dish look more appealing.
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Final Product
The bitter melon stew is fragrant with pepper, just cooked so it retains its green color and crunchiness. The dish will be more delicious when served hot with white rice.
2. Soy Sauce Bitter Melon Stew
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Difficulty Level
Easy
Ingredients for Bitter Melon Braised with Soy Sauce Serves 3 – 4 people
Bitter melon 3 pieces Soy sauce 4 tablespoons Filtered water 1 tablespoon Sugar 1 tablespoon Pepper 1/2 tablespoon MSG 1 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon
Ingredient Images
How to Make Bitter Melon Braised with Soy Sauce
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Prepare the bitter melon
Wash the bitter melon, then remove all the seeds and cut it into small pieces for eating.
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Braised bitter melon
Put 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pot, add the prepared bitter melon and stir-fry for 2 – 3 minutes until the bitter melon is firm.
Then add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of filtered water, and braise over high heat until the liquid in the pot boils.
After that, season with 1 teaspoon of MSG, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper, then stir well to finish.
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Finished product
Delicious bitter melon braised in soy sauce, rich in flavor, with a fragrant aroma from pepper, suitable to serve with white rice.
3. Bitter melon braised in soy sauce
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Preparation time
30 minutes
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Difficulty level
Easy
Ingredients for Bitter melon braised in soy sauce Serving for 4 people
Bitter melon 2 pieces Soy sauce 50 gr Fermented soybeans 2 tablespoons Chili 2 pieces Green onion 5 gr Cilantro 5 gr Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Sugar/salt A little
Ingredient image
How to prepare Bitter melon braised in soy sauce
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Prepare the bitter melon
Wash the bitter melon, cut it in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to carefully scrape out the seeds inside. Then continue to cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Boil a pot of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, then add all the bitter melon to blanch for about 2 minutes before removing.
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Prepare other ingredients
Wash the scallions, then use a knife to chop the roots and leaves. Wash the cilantro, you can keep the stems whole or chop them finely as you like, and just wash the chili!
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Stir-fry the fermented soybeans
Put a pan on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and sauté the chopped scallion roots until fragrant. Add all 50g of fermented soybeans into the pan, stir well.
Tip: Fermented soybeans usually have a very salty taste, depending on your preference, you can add a little sugar or seasoning powder before cooking to balance the flavor!
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Bitter Melon Stew
Add the pre-blanched bitter melon to the pan, stir-frying evenly to help the bitter melon absorb the fermented soy sauce.
When the bitter melon starts to turn a light yellow, you should add water to the pan, just enough to cover the surface of the bitter melon, and simmer on low heat. Add 2 chili peppers, 2 tablespoons of fermented soy sauce, sprinkle with chopped green onions, and a little cilantro to enhance the aroma of the dish.
Tip: Stew on low heat for the bitter melon to soften and absorb the seasoning better.
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Final Product
The bitter melon stewed on low heat is both soft and flavorful from the fermented soy sauce, with a slight bitterness mixed with a mild spiciness from the chili and a hint of aroma from the cilantro. You can try serving it with hot rice; you will surely enjoy it!
4. Bitter melon simmered with vegetarian fish sauce
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Bitter melon simmered with vegetarian fish sauce For 2 people
Bitter melon 400 grams Poaro onion 1 tablespoon Green onion A little Horn chili 2 pieces Vegetarian fish sauce 2 tablespoons Soy sauce 3 tablespoons Sugar 1.5 tablespoons Vegetarian seasoning 1/2 tablespoon Pepper 1 teaspoon Chili sauce 1.5 tablespoons
Tools needed
Ingredient images
How to cook Bitter melon simmered with vegetarian fish sauce
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Prepare the ingredients
After purchasing, wash the bitter melon, cut it in half, and then cut it into small bite-sized pieces. Next, use a spoon to remove the seeds and scrape out the inner flesh.
Wash the Poaro onion, green onion, and horn chili, and chop them finely.
Heat a pan with oil, wait for the oil to heat up, then add the bitter melon and fry briefly before removing it.
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Cook the braising sauce
You place another pan on the stove, sauté 1 tablespoon of oil with 1 tablespoon of leeks until fragrant.
Next, add in order 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of vegetarian fish sauce, 1.5 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of vegetarian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 1.5 tablespoons of chili sauce into the pan and stir well.
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Bitter Melon Stew
Wait for the sauce to thicken, then add the briefly fried bitter melon, add 1/2 cup of water and stew on low heat for about 15 minutes to soften the bitter melon and absorb the sauce!
After that, sprinkle onions, chili, and pepper as desired on top of the dish and it is ready to enjoy.
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Final Product
Vegetarian bitter melon stew has an attractive aroma, with soft bitter melon blending with rich spices, and a mild spiciness. You should eat it with white rice, your whole family will definitely enjoy it!
How to choose fresh bitter melon
- Choose fruits that are medium-sized and elongated.
- The skin surface has many tiny veins.
- Avoid buying fruits that are dark green, have a bulging body, and shiny skin. Because these fruits may have been fertilized with a lot of nitrogen and growth stimulants.
Tips for successful execution
- The dish will taste better if you use crushed green pepper.
- Do not stew for too long as it will make the bitter melon soft, lose its crunchiness, and not retain many nutrients.
How to prepare bitter melon to reduce bitterness
- After cutting the bitter melon into small bite-sized pieces, you can soak the bitter melon in a basin of diluted salt water for about 10 – 15 minutes.
- When the time is up, boil the bitter melon briefly in a pot of water with a little salt, blanch the bitter melon for about 2 minutes, then quickly remove it. Do not cook the bitter melon for too long, as the bitterness will become stronger.
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Hope that with the information above, you can make these 3 delicious vegetarian bitter melon dishes for your family! Wishing you success!
*Refer to the images and recipes from the YouTube channel LEO COOKING, Diệu Pháp Âm, Delicious home dishes and Tiktok Bếp chay XANH!
