Simple and Quick Stir-Fried Bitter Melon Recipe for a Full Moon Meal

How to prepare Stir-fried Bitter Melon

• 1

  Prepare the ingredients

  Wash the bell peppers, drain, and cut them into long strips. Wash the cilantro and drain.

  Cut the bitter melon lengthwise, remove the seeds, then slice and wash, and let it drain.

  Wash the mushrooms you bought, soak them in salty water for 5 – 7 minutes, then remove and let drain. Tear the oyster mushrooms into small pieces, cut the chicken thigh mushrooms into long strips, and trim the roots of the reishi mushrooms.

  Soak the vegetarian beef slices until soft, then cut them into bite-sized strips.

  Tip

  • After cutting the bitter melon, you can blanch it in hot water, then place it in a bowl of ice water to reduce bitterness and enhance its crunchiness.
  • In addition to soaking in salt to clean the mushrooms, you can refer to other methods of cleaning mushrooms to ensure the dish is safe and tasty.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Mix the seasoning mixture

  Put into a bowl a mixture of seasoning including 1 teaspoon of vegetarian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/3 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of vegetarian oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon of water, then stir well to dissolve and blend the seasoning mixture.

  Tip: You should prepare the seasoning mixture separately instead of adding it directly while stir-frying to ensure the seasoning dissolves evenly and absorbs better, making the dish tastier.

  

  
• 3

  Stir-fry the ingredients

  Place a pan on the stove, add 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil, wait for the oil to heat up, then add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped scallions and fry until fragrant.

  After frying the scallions until fragrant, add all the prepared mushrooms and sliced vegetarian beef to the pan, add 1/2 of the mixed seasoning prepared earlier, and stir-fry on medium heat for about 3 – 5 minutes until the mushrooms and vegetarian beef are cooked thoroughly and absorb the seasoning evenly.

  Once the mushrooms and vegetarian beef are cooked, turn off the heat and plate them.

  Wash the pan used for stir-frying above and place it back on the stove, add 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil, wait for the oil to heat up, then add 1 tablespoon of finely chopped scallions and fry until fragrant.

  After frying the scallions until fragrant, add all the prepared bitter melon and bell pepper to the pan, add the remaining 1/2 of the mixed seasoning, and stir-fry on medium heat for about 2 – 3 minutes until the bitter melon and bell pepper are cooked and evenly absorb the seasoning.

  Tip

  • Stir-fry the vegetarian beef and mushrooms first, then plate them separately to absorb just the right amount of seasoning, making the dish less salty and more delicious.
  • You should stir-fry the bitter melon and bell pepper just enough to keep their crispness and avoid releasing water.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Completion

  When the bitter melon and bell pepper are cooked, add the sautéed mushrooms and beef slices, mix well, season to taste, turn off the heat, and plate it. Garnish with a little cilantro and it is ready to enjoy.

  
• 5

  Final Product

  Stir-fried bitter melon with the natural sweetness of mushrooms, vegetarian beef slices, and the slight bitterness of bitter melon combined with the fragrant bell pepper is truly delicious and eye-catching, isn’t it? Wishing you a tasty meal!