Bitter Gourd Cooked With Chinese Pickled Cucumber 壺底油瓜煮苦瓜

Westerners might not know about this dish, but it's one of the common food that will show up on Taiwanese's dining table. The basic idea is to cook the bitter gourd with some sort of Chinese canned pickled melon. However, I used pickled cucumber instead, which comes with denser taste plus a bit sweeter touch. 

The final flavor is somewhat similar doesn't matter you use pickled melon or pickled cucumber, just look for Chinese canned version, and you'll get the correct taste in the end.

Bitter gourd cooked with Chinese pickled cucumber 壺底油瓜煮苦瓜 - 

Ingredients?

• 1 white bitter gourd
• 4 medium pieces Chinese pickled cucumber 壺底油瓜
• 4 tablespoons juice of Chinese pickled cucumber
• 1 small bundle cilantro
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or other preferred cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon rock sugar
• Some salt (optional)

How?

Cut the bitter gourd in half lengthwise them scrape off the seeds and membrane. Slice the bitter gourd to rectangular chunks. Chop the cilantro and set aside for later use.

Into the pan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil or other preferred cooking oil. We are using a bit more oil to semi-sear and semi-fried the bitter gourd, so don't go too easy with the amount of oil used.

Switch to medium heat and wait till the oil gets hot. Add in the bitter gourd and sear till slightly golden on some sides.

Add in 4 medium pieces of Chinese pickled cucumber or pickled melon along with 4 tablespoons of that canned juice. Also add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. 

Adjust the heat so the whole thing can keep at a medium bubbling stage. Cook till the sauce has been reduced a little. You can break the pickled cucumber to smaller pieces while cooking down the sauce. 

Add in 1/2 teaspoon of rock sugar. Cook till the sugar has been fully dissolved. Remember to flip the bitter gourd once a while to ensure even cooking. 

Taste and adjust if needed. In the case of not salty enough, add salt instead of soy sauce.

Plate and garnish with chopped cilantro.

I used white bitter gourd here because the vendor told me it's less bitter compared to the green varieties. However, it's up to you on the bitterness level. On top of that though, I think white bitter gourd looks better when cooked in dark sauce. That brownish color literally translate the taste as more flavorful in my head. 

Extended reading:

• Bitter gourd stir-fry with salted black beans