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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
50 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
A unique braised dish right below will make the family meal more diverse, exotic, and appealing. Let’s get into the kitchen with TasteVN to showcase your cooking skills for the family to enjoy the braised bitter melon stuffed with meat in a rich soy sauce!
Ingredients for Braised Bitter Melon Stuffed with Meat Serves 4
Ground pork 400 gr Wild bitter melon 300 gr (about 10 small fruits) Chili 1 fruit Green onion 2 stalks Cilantro 2 stalks Cooking oil 100 ml Soy sauce 4 tablespoons (dark soy sauce) Fish sauce 1/2 tablespoon Seasoning powder 1 teaspoon Common spices a bit (salt/ sugar/ MSG/ pepper)
How to Choose Fresh Ingredients
How to Choose Fresh Pork
You can buy pre-ground pork or buy whole pieces of pork to grind yourself or use a meat grinder to ensure safety and quality when using.
- Choose meat that has a bright pink color, a dry membrane, a slightly taut surface, and soft fibers.
- When pressed, the meat should be elastic, dry, and not leak slimy fluids.
See details: How to Choose Good Meat
How to choose fresh and delicious bitter melon
- Choose bitter melons that are medium-sized, 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 shiny skin, as they may have been fertilized with too much nitrogen and growth stimulants.
- You should also not choose bitter melons that are too yellow; these are overripe and not tasty. Additionally, do not purchase bitter melons that are bruised or too soft when pressed with your hand.
See details: How to choose fresh bitter melon
How to prepare Stuffed Bitter Melon with Soy Sauce
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Marinate the pork
Put the minced pork in a bowl and marinate with 1/2 teaspoon of MSG, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and the chopped green onion tops, then mix well with chopsticks.
Marinate the meat for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to soak in.
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Prepare the bitter melon
Wash the bitter melon thoroughly with water, cut off the stem, and slice the bitter melon in half.
Use a spoon to carefully scoop out all the seeds from the bitter melon.
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Stuff the bitter melon
Using chopsticks or a spoon, delicately stuff the marinated minced meat into the hollowed-out part of the bitter melon.
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Fry the bitter melon
Heat a pan on the stove and add 100ml of cooking oil, then place the stuffed bitter melon into the pan and fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the bitter melon and especially the meat are cooked, then remove and drain the oil.
Tip: Frying the stuffed bitter melon helps the meat become crispy, making it delicious when braised and preventing the meat from becoming mushy and falling out of the bitter melon.
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Braised Bitter Melon
Reuse the pan just fried, drain the oil and add the stuffed bitter melon that has been fried along with 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 50ml of water.
Proceed to braise over medium heat until the braising mixture thickens, the bitter melon turns yellow-brown, then add sliced chili and chopped scallions or cut into pieces, season to taste and then turn off the heat.
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Final Product
The dish of bitter melon stuffed with meat braised in soy sauce releases a fragrant aroma, the savory taste blends with the bitter taste of bitter melon and the sweet, tender meat, which will definitely be an appealing and unique dish for the family.
What are you waiting for? Let’s get started right away!
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Stuffed bitter melon with soy sauce is rich and unique and will definitely make your family meal more diverse. Make it now and share your results with TasteVN!
*Refer to images and recipes from the YouTube channel Wife’s Kitchen
