Bitter melon and ground pork is a classic pairing made extra tasty in this easy stir fry. We season with oyster sauce, fish sauce, and soy sauce, a crowd pleasing combination of flavors! Don't forget the garlic and black pepper. Enjoy with rice.
Why This Recipe Works
Bitter melon and pork! This is a truly onolicious combo.
It's saucy and packed with flavor, so delicious served hot from the pan with a big bowl of rice. The two main ingredients are bitter melon and ground pork. We add black pepper and lots of garlic (the more the merrier).
Then we season with three key sauces:
- Oyster sauce
- Fish sauce (which we call nuoc mam at home)
- Soy sauce
These three sauces are staples in our kitchen pantry and we can purchase them at all markets in Hawaii (even Costco Hawaii and our local drugstore, Longs Drugs).
At least one of these sauces appear in the most of the savory recipes on the blog so it's worth keeping all three in your pantry.
And that's all you need to make this dish! Most people refer to this as a Chinese bitter melon recipe, but it's more a Chinese dish, Vietnamese dish, and local Hawaii dish. It's a real melting pot type of dish, which is like so much of the food we are lucky to eat and enjoy in Hawaii ^_^
Bitter Melon
Bitter Melon is one of my favorite vegetables! It has a reputation for being bitter haha, but that's exactly why I love it. I love edge, that bite. But also the tender texture and sweet flavors. It's quite beautiful to look at.
There are many different ways to cook bitter melon. My grandma makes a wonderful bitter melon and pork soup when I come for dinner. Goya Champuru (Okinawan Bitter Melon Stir Fry) is a popular dish which you can find at Okinawan restaurants in Hawaii (or cook at home). For quick weekday lunches, I love to make Bitter Melon and Egg Stir Fry. It's so fast and easy. Tasty and feels very nourishing.
To prepare bitter melon all you need to do is trim off the pointy ends then cut the bitter melon in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scrape out the pith and seeds. Then slice the bitter melon thinly and you'll have all these pretty half moon pieces ready for cooking.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Bitter melon
- Garlic, minced
- Ground pork
- Oyster sauce
- Fish sauce
- Soy sauce
- Ground black pepper
That's it! Aside from the bitter melon (which we usually get in Chinatown or any big Asian supermarket), the rest of the ingredients are pantry staples.
Step by Step Directions
Let's get cooking!
Prepare the bitter melon.
Cut off both ends of the bitter melon (about ½ inch on each end). Then slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to core out the pith and seeds. Slice the bitter melon into thin ¼ inch slices. Set aside.
Brown the garlic.
Brown garlic in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Brown the ground pork.
Once the garlic is golden and fragrant, add the pork and cook for about 2 minutes, until the pork is browned.Push the pork and garlic mixture to one side of the pan.
Cook the bitter melon.
Add the prepared bitter melon to the other side of the pan. Add ¼ cup of water to the bitter melon. Put the lid on the pan and let cook for 3-4 minutes until the bitter melon is tender.
Mix and season.
Remove the lid. Gently mix the bitter melon and pork. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and black pepper to the pan. Mix and cook for another minute.
Time to eat.
Then it’s ready to eat! Serve hot with a big bowl of rice.
FAQs and Tips
It keeps 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Just microwave or steam to reheat.
If you're looking for a bitter melon egg recipe, make sure to check out this post for Bitter Melon and Egg Stir Fry.
You've come to the right place! Here are a few go-to dishes:
– Garlic and Fish Sauce Eggplant - One my all time favorite dishes!
– Garlic and Fish Sauce Ong Choy - Cannot go wrong with this gem.
– Stir Fried Lettuce - Easy to prepare especially when you have leftover lettuce you want to use up.
– Thit Kho (Vietnamese Braised Pork and Eggs) - Make in big batches! So good for a big family dinner (or lunch/dinner prep for the week).
– Cha Trung (Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf) - A Vietnamese classic.
Bitter Melon Stir Fry Recipe
See below and enjoy ^_^
Bitter Melon Stir Fry
Bitter melon and ground pork is a classic pairing made extra tasty in this easy dish. The stir fry is seasoned with garlic, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and soy sauce, a great and crowd pleasing combination of flavors. Don't forget the black pepper! Enjoy with rice.
Ingredients
- 1 bitter melon
- 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ pound ground pork
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the bitter melon. Cut off both ends of the bitter melon (about ½ inch on each end). Then slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to core out the pith and seeds. Slice the bitter melon into thin ¼ inch slices. Set aside.
- Brown garlic in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the garlic is golden and fragrant, add the pork and cook for about 2 minutes, until the pork is browned.
- Push the pork and garlic mixture to one side of the pan. Add the prepared bitter melon to the other side of the pan. Add ¼ cup of water to the bitter melon. Put the lid on the pan and let cook for 3-4 minutes until the bitter melon is tender.
- Remove the lid. Gently mix the bitter melon and pork. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and black pepper to the pan. Mix and cook for another minute.
- Then it’s ready to eat! Serve hot with a big bowl of rice.
As a kid growing up on Maui, my Portuguese/Filipina grandmother made this ono dish. Today, I live on Oahu and grow bittermelon. In my house, I'm the solo eater of this beautiful veg. What I learned for the first time from your recipe--and I've cooked this combo many of times--was the idea to, "Push the pork and garlic mixture to one side of the pan. Add the prepared bitter melon to the other side of the pan." Genius. Mahalo!
As an ex-pat Hawaii resident I've found this recipe easy to make, delicious and "right on the mark in taste!!! Used thin slices pork belly in lieu of ground pork which is just as tasty.
Loved this. Lots of conflicting advice on how long to parboil bitter melon but I think your suggestion of 1 minute is just right.