Bitter Gourd with Egg Stir Fry (苦瓜炒蛋)

Stir-fried Bitter Gourd with egg (苦瓜炒蛋)

Note: This is an old recipe from 2007 which has been re-written and updated with new photos.

Bitter gourd is a healthy vegetable and it is known to reduce “heatiness” – a really much-needed attribute for tropical dwellers like me who is living in hot and humid Singapore. Bitter gourd is very much an acquired taste for me because when I was a kid, I did not dare to eat it at all, but now I have since grew to love it. This is a classic local home-cooked Chinese dish where fermented black beans and eggs are used to stir fry with the bitter gourd slices. If you like bitter gourd, do also check out my bitter gourd soup with pork rib recipe and claypot chicken with bitter gourd recipe.

Ingredients
(Serves 2)
- 150-200 grams bitter gourd (bitter melon/苦瓜)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp fermented black beans
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- a small pinch of salt, to taste

Directions
1. Cut bitter gourd to half (length-wise) and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Slice bitter gourd thinly.
2. Heat oil in wok and stir fry garlic and fermented black beans until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add bitter gourd slices and stir fry over high heat for about 2-3 minutes until almost cooked (turning slightly translucent).
4. Pour the beaten egg slowly over the bitter gourd slices. Stir fry until the egg is cooked and dry. Season to taste with salt.

Cooking Note
1. If you want to reduce the bitterness, rub a small amount of salt on the bitter gourd and leave for a few minutes, after which rinse away the salt with water before slicing. I personally enjoy the bitterness so I omitted this step.
2. Tip for choosing bitter gourd: In general, dark green bitter gourd is more bitter and light green is less bitter.

Variations
1. Adding meat – in a small bowl, mix 100g of minced pork (or chicken), a small pinch of sugar, Chinese pepper powder, 1 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp light soy sauce. Marinade for 10 minutes. Add the meat after step 2, and try to break up the meat to small pieces with a frying turner or spatula. Stir fry until the meat is halfway cooked before adding the bitter gourd slices.
2. Adding wolfberries – Soak 1 tsp wolfberries 5 minutes, drain the water, and add in step 3.

Ingredients Used bittergourd • black fermented bean • egg • garlic

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