Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Steamed Stuffed Bitter Melon with Pork and Shrimp
豉汁蒸釀苦瓜
Recipe overview
Thick bitter melon rings hold a pork-shrimp filling and steam with garlic black bean sauce, balancing gentle bitterness, sweetness and savoury flavour.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- about 500 g bitter melon (about 2, cut into 3 cm rings)
- 300 g minced pork
- 150 g peeled shrimp (deveined and chopped)
- 10 g ginger (grated)
- 1 stalk spring onion (chopped)
- 1 tsp salt (for drawing moisture from bitter melon, then rinsed off)
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Sauce
- 1 tbsp fermented black beans (briefly rinsed and chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 100 ml water
02
Tools
- kitchen knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowl
- small bowl
- measuring spoons
- tablespoon
- strainer
- food-safe gloves
- steamer
- steaming rack
- heatproof shallow dish
- food thermometer
- oven mitts
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare the steamer
Add water below the steaming rack, cover and bring to a steady steam.
Step 2
Check the pork and shrimp
Thaw pork and shrimp in the refrigerator, check smell, colour and texture, and keep raw and cooked tools separate.
Step 3
Cut and hollow the bitter melon
Wash and dry the bitter melon, cut into 3 cm rings and scrape out seeds and white pith with a spoon while keeping each ring intact.
Step 4
Salt and rinse the bitter melon
Rub the rings lightly with salt, rest for 10 minutes, rinse with water and drain in a strainer.
Step 5
Chop the shrimp
Pat deveined shrimp dry and chop into small pieces while retaining a little texture.
Step 6
Prepare the aromatics
Grate the ginger and chop the spring onion, reserving a little green onion for garnish.
Step 7
Mix the pork-shrimp filling
Mix pork, shrimp, ginger, most spring onion and all seasoning in one direction for 2 minutes until sticky.
Step 8
Stuff the bitter melon rings
Arrange rings in a heatproof dish, fill firmly with a spoon and level the tops without making tall mounds.
Step 9
Mix the black bean sauce
Briefly rinse, drain and chop the black beans, then mix with minced garlic and 100 ml water.
Step 10
Spoon sauce over the stuffed melon
Spoon the black bean garlic sauce evenly over every stuffed ring and around the base of the dish.
Step 11
Steam for 15 to 18 minutes
Place the dish over steadily boiling water, cover and steam on high for 15 to 18 minutes without repeatedly lifting the lid.
Step 12
Check doneness and serve
Probe the thickest filling; remove only at 75°C, then use oven mitts to move the dish, garnish with remaining spring onion and serve.
Common mistakes
- Thin bitter melon rings split and cannot hold the filling.
- Overfilled tall mounds can cook outside while remaining raw inside.
Tips
Mix the filling in one direction until sticky so it stays together after steaming.
For less bitterness, complete the salt-and-rinse step without squeezing hard.
