Bitter Melon stuffed with Beef Mince

 With COVID restrictions in place in Melbourne, we have not been to the market in over two months.  Supermarkets do not have a good choice of fish so we have been managing with vegetables and meat.  Also, the designated shopper at home is my husband and whatever he can find is what we have.  Simple, right?  Well, today he brought back 3 bitter melons.  I had to find ways to use them up before they get spoilt. I had some left over mince from last week - so when I was hunting for recipes, this recipe from Food Delicacy by Celia Lim stood out. 

Link:  https://www.foodelicacy.com/steamed-bitter-gourd-stuffed-with-minced-pork/

I did not have all the ingredients mentioned by Celia, so I just improvised.  My husband and I enjoyed this dish with rice.  The kids are not great fans of bitter melon - it is an acquired taste!  If you can like it, though, it is very good for you.

Ingredients:

For stuffing:

200 grams beef mince

2 teaspoons chilli flakes

1/2 tablespoon corn starch

1 teaspoon soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 slices of pickled mushroom, chopped ( optional)

1 tablespoon of sweet wine ( optional)

For gravy:

1 bitter melon

2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

1 red chilli - chopped finely

2 table spoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons black bean sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

1 table spoon corn flour, mixed with water and made into a slurry

A pinch of sugar

Couple of tablespoons of oil

A few coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Wash bitter melon, cut the ends of and cut into thick slices - about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick.  Using a sharp paring knife carefully remove the seeds and pith leaving the outside intact.  Sprinkle salt all over the slices, rub it inside and out and leave aside to sweat out the juices.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, add the ingredients for stuffing the bitter melon, mix well and leave in the fridge until needed.

After 30 minutes, wash the bitter melon off all the excess salt and the juices that collected in the bowl.  Pat dry.  Get the stuffing mix out of the fridge. Make a small ball of the mix and stuff it in the bitter melon slice.  Take care to keep the base flat.  You can add the extra meat to the top.  Do this with all of the slices.

In a saucepan, heat oil and carefully places the stuffed slices of bitter melon and cook for about 5 minutes.  The base will be cooked now - you can remove them carefully and set them on a plate.

In the same oil, add garlic and chilli, the sauces, sugar and then place the stuffed bitter melon slices back in again.

This time close the lid and cook for about 15 minutes - and in the last 5 minutes add the slurry to thicken the sauce.  Once the meat is fully cooked, turn off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice.