A light rice meal often starts with kho qua xao trung. What makes it good is the soft egg clinging to slices of bitter melon that still have bite. The tricky part is the bitterness, thick slices are hard going and a long stir fry turns the taste sharp.
A quick 10 to 15 second blanch in salted boiling water softens the bitterness and holds the green. The egg goes in once the heat is down, gets a gentle toss to coat, and the pan comes off straight away.
This batch weighs about 483g, at roughly 92 calories per 100g.
Method
Halve the bitter melon, scrape out the pith and slice it thin.
Blanch the slices for 10 to 15 seconds in salted boiling water to soften the bitterness and keep the green, then lift them out and drain.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and beat well.
Fry the minced garlic in a pan with 1 tablespoon hot oil until fragrant.
Add the bitter melon and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes, seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend.
Lower the heat, pour in the egg and fold gently so it coats the bitter melon, cooking just until the egg sets, then turn off the heat.
Slide it onto a plate, scatter over pepper and spring onion, and serve hot with white rice or rice porridge.
Tips
Small bitter melons are usually less bitter than large ones, so avoid any that are yellowing or wrinkled and soft.
A little sweetness during the stir fry balances the natural bitterness of the melon.
Scrape out all the white pith inside, that is the most bitter part.
Fold the egg over low heat and stop as soon as it sets, the residual heat finishes the job.
Shake the blanched melon really dry, since any water left keeps the egg from clinging to the slices.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.