Bitter melon is not for everyone – but if you’ve acquired the taste and are looking for an easy tasty bitter melon recipe, check out this Stir Fry Bitter Melon with Dried Fish and Douchi recipe!

What is Bitter Melon?

Bitter melon, aka bitter gourd, is part of the gourd family – closely related to zucchini, squash, and cucumber.

Many Asian cuisine uses bitter melon as an ingredient, including Chinese, Indian, Burmese, Indonesian, Thai, and more.

This gourd is known for its bitter tasty and bumpy appearance. It can definitely be known for its acquired taste, but some still like to eat it due to its health benefits.

Bitter melons is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, fiber, and Iron. It can also help reduce blood sugar, decrease cholesterol, and may have cancer fighting properties!

BTW – learn all about delicious Chinese veggies here!

How to prepare Bitter Melon

First, wash and rinse the bitter melon in cold water.

Cut the tips of the bitter melon off, and then cut the bitter in half lengthwise using a sharp knife.

Remove the seeds in the middle using a spoon.

Slice the bitter melon thinly – about 1/4 inch thick.

Soak bitter melon in some water sprinkled with salt in order to remove some of the strong bitter taste for 15 minutes.

What is Dried Fish?

Dried fish is fish that has been preserved through a drying process. Dried fish can be stored for long periods of time without refrigeration, which makes it pretty popular in areas where fresh fish is not readily available.

There are several different types of dried fish and from various regions. We usually use dried anchovy.

Dried anchovies are small, oily fish that are dried in the sun. They are a popular ingredient in many Asian cuisines. Dried anchovies have a strong, savory flavor that can be used to add umami to many dishes.

Today we used this Japanese Dried Anchovy.

What is Douchi aka Fermented Black Beans?

Fermented Black Beans aka Douchi (豆豉) is a type of fermented savory black soybean. They are used to flavor many Chinese dishes.

They are made by fermenting and salting black soybeans. This process causes the beans to soften and very flavorful (some will even call it pungent!). Because it’s salty, you do not need to add too much salt or soy sauce when cooking with douchi.

Stir Fry Bitter Melon Recipe

First, gather your ingredients:

2 bitter melons
2 tbsp dried anchovy
1 tsp fermented black beans aka douchi
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp Salt + Salt, to taste

If you haven’t already sliced the bitter melons, this is a great time to do it. Cut it half way through length-wise first, then slice it 1/4-inch thick.

Place in a large mixing bowl with water and 1 tsp of salt and allow the bitter melon to soak for 15 minutes. This removes some of the bitterness. Drain bitter melons.

Heat cooking oil in a wok or skillet. Once it is hot, add dried anchovies and douchi.

Stir fry for about a minute as this will flavor the dish and heating it will bring that flavor out.

Add sliced bitter melon in to wok or skillet, and stir fry for about 5-10 minutes or until the bitter melon is tender to your liking.

Add salt to taste, and mix well, remove from heat and serve!

Stir Fry Bitter Melon

Bitter melon is not for everyone – but if you’ve acquired the taste and are looking for an easy tasty bitter melon recipe, check out this Stir Fry Bitter Melon with Dried Fish and Douchi recipe!

Ingredients

2 bitter melons
2 tbsp dried anchovy
1 tsp fermented black beans aka douchi
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp Salt + Salt, to taste

Instructions

If you haven’t already sliced the bitter melons, this is a great time to do it. Cut it half way through length-wise first, then slice it 1/4-inch thick.
Place in a large mixing bowl with water and 1 tsp of salt and allow the bitter melon to soak for 15 minutes. This removes some of the bitterness. Drain bitter melons.
Heat cooking oil in a wok or skillet. Once it is hot, add dried anchovies and douchi.
Stir fry for about a minute as this will flavor the dish and heating it will bring that flavor out.
Add sliced bitter melon in to wok or skillet, and stir fry for about 5-10 minutes or until the bitter melon is tender to your liking.
Add salt to taste, and mix well, remove from heat and serve!

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