Bitter Melon Stuffed with Sticky Rice

Name: Bitter Melon Stuffed with Sticky Rice
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings as part of a multicourse meal
Cuisine: Hakka
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger; 1 teaspoon minced garlic; 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (shaoxing) or dry sherry; ⅔ cup long-grain glutinous rice; 1 tablespoon Tianjin (Tientsin) preserved vegetable; 2 bitter melons, each about 2 inches wide (about 1 pound total); 2 teaspoons cornstarch; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 2 tablespoons minced Chinese sausage or Chinese bacon; ¼ teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, including green tops; ¾ cup chicken broth, homemade or purchased; 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; ⅔ cup water

Preparation info

Makes
4 to 6
servings as part of a multicourse meal

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Hakka Cookbook

By Linda Anusasananan

Published 2012

About

At the Hakka 3 Generations restaurant in Hong Kong, we sampled a modern version of stuffed bitter melon. Usually pork fills the green rings, but these are plump with sticky rice laced with bits of cured pork and preserved vegetables. A savory sauce flows over the filled rings.

Ingredients

Melon Rings

⅔ cup long-grain glutinous rice
1 tablespoon Tianjin (Tientsin) preserved vegetable
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Asia
China
Main course
Side dish
Sauce
Hong Kong

Method

For the melon rings

Place the rice in a wire strainer and rinse well, stirring the rice occasionally. Spread an even layer of rice in a 9- to 10-inch shallow heatproof dish that will fit inside a steamer, such as a Pyrex pie pan. Rinse the p