This is an easy stir-fry using Taiwanese white bitter gourd (bitter melon). I love Taiwan, and I really missed my annual Taipei trip, during which I will work, cook in my studio apartment and eat local for at least 3 weeks. The bitter gourd in Taiwan is white and I think it has a more pleasant bitter taste than the local green ones here (or is it the “grass is greener on the other side” syndrome)? Anyway, when I saw white bitter gourd here, I bought one and cook it the same day to make this dish, reminiscing my time in Taipei.
Since the bitter gourd is popular in Taiwan, I used my favourite Taiwanese chilli soybean paste for the stir-fry. The sauce is a staple in my pantry, and it is a very convenient fail-safe sauce to use in stir-fries, as it is very tasty and stands well on its own.
With the savoury sauce, this dish goes so well with rice.
And yes, the recipe can be substituted with great results with local green bittergourd, available all year round.
The white bittergourd can be substituted with local green bittergourd with the same results.
This stir-fried bittergourd and meat dish is deliciously savoury and goes very well with rice.
Cooking Note(s):
* For the cut of pork, use lean pork (most economical cut), shoulder butt or belly (mid-range) or tenderloin pork (most premium cut and most tender). Ask your meat grocer for recommended cuts for stir-frying.
** Soybean paste. If you can’t find the exact bottle that I used, use any favourite brand, preferably Taiwanese style. Alternatively, mash whole fermented soybeans (taucheo) with the back of a spoon & add 1 red chilli to the stir-fry. Season to taste accordingly.