Tuesday 12 June 2018

Fried Bittergourd with Eggs


I can't remember when I developed a liking for bittergourd. What I do remember is the first time I was impressed with a bittergourd dish that I had at a restaurant. 

What I liked was the deep wok hei aroma and flavor of the dish. It was a family dinner at a restaurant in Kelana Jaya with my parents, siblings and my late uncle. Since there were so many of us, I could only eat a little bit of the dish.


Since then, I have had many more bittergourd dishes, some with just eggs and some with salted egg yolk. All I loved except for the one time when my partner and I were served bittergourd fried with rotten salted egg yolks. That was awful. We returned the dish, never to visit the restaurant again. Anyway, it closed down eventually.


I have cooked this bittergourd dish many times at home but I am not able to replicate that wok hei fragrance. But still, the dish tastes good enough. I like to make sure that the eggs are browned over high heat and that does contribute somewhat to a faint wok hei aroma.

Fried Bittergourd with Eggs
Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :
- 1 medium sized bittergourd
- 3 eggs
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp light soya sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- pepper to taste

Method :
1. Cut bittergourd into halves, lengthwise and remove seeds and pulp.
2. Slice the bittergourd thinly.
3. Break eggs into a bowl and add light soya sauce and fish sauce. Beat the eggs.
4.  Heat oil in wok and fry the garlic until lightly browned and aromatic.
5. Add bittergourd and stir fry until almost tender.
6. Pour beaten eggs into the pan and allow to set.
7. Then stir fry the mixture and brown the egg mixture.
8. Dish out and serve.

28 comments:

  1. Up till now, me still is no thank you to bittergourd...

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  2. u can become a master chef at Chinese restaurant if u able to replicate the 'wok hei' using ur home pan/wok. I'm not sure how it was done but mostly I see the restaurant chef would turn up the fire till blazing with their big wok tossing the dish. It needs very strong muscle to toss the wok over and over (to prevent the dish from overcooked or burnt)with that blazing fire ;-) I like bittergourd in any form, whether it is with egg, in soup or plain stir fried.

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    Replies
    1. It's due to the big flame. I tried heating my wok until very hot (just to dry it after washing) and really, got that wok hei smell. But I dare not cook with such big flame.

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  3. Mmm.... maybe coating bitter gourd in egg would get me to like it a little more.

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  4. What a coincidence. I just ate them last night but my wife fried more eggs with lesser bitter gourd. I think I ate lots of bitter gourd after 20 years old when i started earning and ate out. Now I am guessing that either the Thais seldom cook bitter gourd or my father disliked bitter taste.

    Now you remind me that I should started making fruit juice extracts again using bitter gourd and pineapple or apples. The bitter juice is the best healing tonic for our liver and other organs besides detoxification.

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    Replies
    1. I have been meaning to try juicing it with green apples but so far dare not as I'm afraid I won't like the taste.

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  5. This looks good and maybe my boys will have it with eggs as they dislike the bitterness in the bitter gourd but love eggs :)

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    Replies
    1. More eggs and you get bittergourd omelette which is even better!

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  6. I love this dish but prefer more eggs. Or bitter gourd omelette.

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  7. We had bitter gourd omelette for our lunch today...AGAIN! - I do think I prefer it that way these days.

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    Replies
    1. It's that good, eh? I love it as omelette too.

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  8. wow! I love this dish and I don't need it to be with wok hei.

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    Replies
    1. I remember you mentioned you prefer without wok hei :)

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  9. ooo, i think we have a similar perspective to bittergourd - i didn't like it growing up, but i've come to appreciate it since then. it also has a lot of health benefits for us :) p.s. gosh, i've never had rotten salted eggs before - and i hope i never do! :)

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    Replies
    1. Rotten salted eggs are worse than rotten regular eggs >.<

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  10. Like Sean, I never liked bitter gourd growing up...but now I do. This dish would be great if the bitter gourd is not overly bitter as they can be sometimes. I hear that one can get rid of the bitterness by rubbing them in salt (but I've never tried it before though).

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    Replies
    1. I tried it once but I did not taste much difference. Since I do not mind the bitterness, I don't bother salting it.

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  11. I love to eat bittergourd, i eat it with omelette or bittergourd fish soup

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  12. I love bittergourd and egg omelette!

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  13. Hi Phong Hong, you have cooked my favourite dish!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mel! It's one of my favorites too.

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  14. Hi Phong Hong, one of my favourite dish. Simple and easy especially these days, bittergourd are not that bitter when the white pith are well removed. Great with porridge.

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  15. Since I'm the only one in my family that love bittergourd, I never cook it at home. I will have it whenever I saw it at economy rice stall :P

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