Lianggua Rouru He
Minced Bitter Melon with Rice Noodles
Preparation info
Difficulty
Easy
Serves
4
as Part of a Chinese Meal, or 2 as a Single Dish.
Appears in
The famous Sha He restaurant attracts visitors from all over China to taste what is reputed to be the ultimate rice noodles. Located just outside the port of Guangzhou in an area renowned for the quality of its rice and its water, the Sha He makes over one thousand pounds of rice noodles every day, serving them in forty different dishes. One recipe they shared with me marries the cool, tangy flavour of bitter melon with pork and the airy lightness of their delicate noodles. If you aren’t able to buy fresh rice noodles in your local Chinese market, substitute dried ones but do try the recipe.
Ingredients
450 g 1 lb 450 g 1 lb 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons 225 g 8 oz 2 tablespoons 2 teaspoons 1 teaspoon 150 ml 5 fl oz
Method
If you are using dried noodles, soak them in warm water for 20 minutes and drain well before using.
Slice the bitter melon in half lengthways. Remove the seeds and finely chop the melon. Blanch it in boiling water for 2 minutes and drain thoroughly. Heat a wok or large frying pan until hot. Add the oil and the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Put in the pork and stir-fry for 2 minutes, breaking it up. Add the soy sauce, sugar, salt, chicken stock, bitter melon, and rice noodles. Continue to stir-fry until the noodles are heated through and most of the liquid has evaporated. Turn onto a platter and serve.
© 1990 Ken Hom. All rights reserved.