How to Cook Bitter Melon Hot Pot with Snakehead Fish – Delicious and Attractive at Home

How to prepare Bitter Melon Fish Hotpot

• 1

  Prepare the fish

  You can buy pre-processed fish at the market or buy the whole fish and process it yourself.

  Leave the fish outside for about 4 hours to let it become a bit soft, then wash it thoroughly, clean the internal organs, scales, and fins.

  Choose a sharp knife and proceed to fillet the fish, then use a spoon to scrape the fish meat into a bowl. Remember to remove any remaining bones in the fish meat.

  Note: The meat of the fish can be very tough, and if the fish is still fresh, scraping the fish will be very difficult and may easily cause small bones to get stuck in the meat. You can freeze the fish in the refrigerator or let it sit for about 4 hours to soften the fish, making it easier to scrape.

  

  

  
• 2

  Prepare other ingredients

  To eliminate the smell, soak the pork bones in diluted salt water for about 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water 2 – 3 times and let them dry.

  Wash the bitter melon, cut off both ends, then hollow out the inside and proceed to cut it into thin round slices.

  How to reduce the bitterness of bitter melon

  • To reduce bitterness, soak the bitter melon in ice water or put it in the refrigerator at a low temperature for about 10 – 15 minutes.
  • Alternatively, you can also reduce the bitterness by marinating it with salt for about 15 minutes, then rinsing thoroughly and continuing to prepare the dish.
  • Another method is to blanch the bitter melon in boiling water at about 80 degrees Celsius, then remove it and soak it in cold water for about 1 minute.

  See details: Effective and simple ways to reduce the bitterness of bitter melon

  Pick fresh and good leaves of amaranth and wash them clean; if the leaves are large, you can cut them in half.

  Peel the white radish, wash it clean, and then cut it into small pieces.

  Wash the scallions and cilantro, then chop them finely. Minced shallots and garlic.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Marinate the snakehead fish and bones

  Put the cleaned snakehead fish into a mortar to marinate with: 2 chopped shallots, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, a little pepper and mix well.

  Then use a pestle to pound for about 15 minutes until it feels heavy, and the fish meat is sticky.

  Put the pork bones in a bowl, marinate with 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, a little pepper and mix well to marinate for about 20 minutes.

  

  

  
• 4

  Cook the hotpot

  Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to the pot, and sauté the shallots and garlic until golden and fragrant.

  Next, add the marinated bones and stir-fry until they are firm, then pour in 3 liters of water and white radish and simmer for about 20 minutes.

  Tip:

  • Using bones for simmering will make your hotpot broth sweeter and more delicious.
  • Remember to regularly skim off the foam to help the broth be clearer and tastier!

  After simmering the bones, you season with additional spices: 1 tablespoon of sweet and sour satay sauce (optional), 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder, and cook until the water boils vigorously.

  Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, then turn off the heat.

  

  

  
• 5

  Final Product

  Place the cooked hotpot broth on a stove, and bring it to a boil. As you eat, you can add fish balls and bitter melon to cook until done. When eating, you can also dip in some water spinach, and enjoy with fresh noodles or noodles, both are very delicious.

  Tip: Remember to let the hotpot broth boil vigorously before adding the fish, otherwise the hotpot will smell fishy.

  The fish is chewy, the broth has a slightly bitter and sweet taste that is incredibly appealing. This will surely be a delicious dish you can treat your family to on the weekend.