I remember as a child, I hated this dish. Actually, I abhorred this dish with a passion. When my mother would make it, I would not touch it. Now as an adult, I find myself craving it. I think that’s when you know you’re officially old, when you start liking things that you hated as a child, and as an adult, you hate the things you loved as a kid, like candy and sour balls.
Canh Kho Qua Nhoi Thit {Bitter Melon Soup}
Source: Lo Huynh (4 servings)
Ingredients:
¼ pound ground pork
1 ounce bean thread noodles, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and then cut into 1″ pieces
1 ounce dried black fungus, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and then cut into thin strips
¼ each yellow onion, minced
1 teaspoon fish sauce
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 each bitter melon, blanched in boiling water for one minute and then run under cold water.
Soup:
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled
Garnish:
1 tablespoon scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro , chopped
Directions:
1. Mix the ground pork, bean thread noodles, dried black fungus, fish sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, and minced yellow onion in a bowl.
2. For the bitter melon, after it’s been blanched and shocked in cold water, cut the bitter melon into 1 1/2″ discs and remove the soft white flesh. Wash the bitter melon and pat dry. Stuff the bitter melon with the pork mixture and set aside.
3. In a pot, add the chicken stock with the fish sauce and granulated sugar and bring to a boil.
4. Add the stuffed bitter melon and cook for fifteen minutes, or until your ground pork is fully cooked.
5. Garnish with the cilantro and scallions.