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Stir Fry Beef with Bitter gourd on white plate

STORY BEHIND THE RECIPE

Name: Stir-Fried Beef with Bitter gourd
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 Bitter gourd (abt 400-500 gm); 1 TBsp salt (to be added to bitter gourd slices before washing); 200 gm beef; 3 TBsp oil; 4-5 slices ginger; 1/2 TBsp black fermented bean; 1 tsp chopped garlic; 1/2 tsp light soya sauce; 1 tsp corn flour; 1 tsp oil; a dash black pepper; 1 tsp oyster sauce; 1 tsp corn flour; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 tsp sugar; 1/4 tsp black soya sauce

Most people, especially children, do not like to eat bitter gourd as its name suggests it is bitter. However bitter gourd has cooling properties and is valued for its ability to expel toxins from your body. The juice of the bitter gourd is of medicinal value, known to lower blood sugar level, help cleanse the liver, improve blood circulation and relieve gout pain.

If that’s not enough to convince you, there is an old Chinese proverb “吃得苦中苦，方为人上人” that says that whoever can stomach bitter foods (like bitter gourd) can take hard knocks in life and will be able withstand adversity against all odds. Pregnant ladies are advised to stay away from it though! Ginger can be added to it to counteract some of the “coolingness” because ginger is a “heaty” food.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DISH

It is healthy as it contains bitter gourd, which is a superfood.
The different tastes compliment each other. The saltiness of the beef and black bean contrast the bitterness of the bitter gourd.

HOW TO MAKE

Cut the bittergourd into slices. Read my article How to Choose and Prepare Bitter Gourd on how to do so.

Add 1 TBsp salt in the bitter gourd and gently toss up a few times until it is limp. Be careful not to break it up to pieces. Leave it for 15 mins.

Drain off the bitter juices from the bitter gourd. Wash it with water a few times and squeeze out the water and drain dry.

Cut the beef into slices and marinate with the beef marinade ingredients.

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Remove the skin from the ginger and slice it thinly.

Peel and chop the garlic finely.

Pound the fermented black bean coarsely.

In a separate bowl, add in all the gravy ingredients and mix well

Add 1 Tbsp oil into the wok over medium high heat. Add the ginger and fry until fragrant.

Add the bittergourd and fry until it is limp. Try cutting a piece of bittergourd with the spatula. If it cuts easily and still remain a bit crunchy, remove and transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining oil (2 Tbsp) into the wok. Turn down the fire to low, then add the fermented black bean and garlic and fry until aromatic (about 1 min).

Turn the heat to medium high. Add in the beef and fry for 3 mins.

Lastly pour back the bitter gourd into the beef and mix well.

Give a stir to the gravy seasoning before adding it to the bitter gourd mixture. Fry until the beef is cooked to your preferred ‘doneness’.

Transfer to a plate and serve hot.

MARKETING TIPS

Buy “AAA” Brand of fermented black bean that contains ground ginger and salt. It is available at NTUC.

PREP TIPS

Make sure you remove the seeds and scrape off the pith of the bitter gourd to reduce the bitterness. The bitterness can only be reduced but cannot be removed completely.
Add salt to the bittergourd before washing to extract the bitterness from the bitter gourd and also to soften it.
Discard the juices from the bittergourd as it is really bitter. Make sure all the bitter juices are squeezed out from the bitter gourd and that you rinse it through many times, otherwise the dish will end up too salty.
Cut the beef perpendicular rather than parallel to the grain of the meat, otherwise the meat will be end up tough and rubbery.

COOKING TIPS

Do not add too much light sauce or oyster sauce as the black bean is already salty.
When frying the bittergourd, add a few slices of ginger to reduce the cooling property of the bittergourd.
When frying the black bean and garlic, the fire must be low or it will get burnt easily.
Do not overcook the beef or it will be hard and chewy.

DIETARY MODIFICATIONS

Gluten-Free: replaces or check sauces for gluten free versions.
Nut-Free: No modifications needed.
Shellfish-Free: Replace oyster sauce with vegetarian oyster sauce.

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Stir-Fried Beef with Bitter gourd

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: beef with bitter gourd, beef with bitter melon, stir fry beef with bitter gourd

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 195kcal

Author: Bee Leng

Turns out that grandma was right - bitter gourd is good for you! Try cooking this superfood with some umami black bean sauce and succulent stir fried beef. It's both healthy and delicious! #bittergourdwithstirfriedbeef #theburningkitchen #tbk

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 Bitter gourd abt 400-500 gm
1 TBsp salt to be added to bitter gourd slices before washing
200 gm beef
3 TBsp oil
4-5 slices ginger
1/2 TBsp black fermented bean
1 tsp chopped garlic

Marinade Ingredients for beef

1/2 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp corn flour
1 tsp oil
a dash black pepper

Gravy Ingredients

1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp corn flour
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black soya sauce

Instructions

PREPARATION METHOD

Cut the bittergourd into slices. Read my article How to Choose and Prepare Bitter Gourd on how to do so.
Add 1 TBsp salt in the bitter gourd and gently toss up a few times until it is limp. Be careful not to break it up to pieces. Leave it for 15 mins.
Drain off the bitter juices from the bitter gourd. Wash it with water a few times and squeeze out the water and drain dry.
Cut the beef into slices and marinate with the beef marinade ingredients.
Remove the skin from the ginger and slice it thinly.
Peel and chop the garlic finely.
Pound the fermented black bean coarsely.
In a separate bowl, add in all the gravy ingredients and mix well

COOKING METHOD

Add 1 Tbsp oil into the wok over medium high heat. Add the ginger and fry until fragrant.
Add the bittergourd and fry until it is limp. Try cutting a piece of bittergourd with the spatula. If it cuts easily and still remain a bit crunchy, remove and transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining oil (2 Tbsp) into the wok. Turn down the fire to low, then add the fermented black bean and garlic and fry until aromatic (about 1 min).
Turn the heat to medium high. Add in the beef and fry for 3 mins.
Lastly pour back the bittergourd into the beef and mix well.
Give a stir to the gravy seasoning before adding it to the bitter gourd mixture. Fry until the beef is cooked to your preferred ‘doneness’.
Transfer to a plate and serve hot.

Notes

MARKETING TIPS

Buy "AAA" Brand of fermented black bean that contains ground ginger and salt. It is available at NTUC.

PREP TIPS

Make sure you remove the seeds and scrape off the pith of the bitter gourd to reduce the bitterness. The bitterness can only be reduced but cannot be removed completely.
Add salt to the bittergourd before washing to extract the bitterness from the bitter gourd and also to soften it.
Discard the juices from the bittergourd as it is really bitter. Make sure all the bitter juices are squeezed out from the bitter gourd and that you rinse it through many times, otherwise the dish will end up too salty.
Cut the beef perpendicular rather than parallel to the grain of the meat, otherwise the meat will be end up tough and rubbery.

COOKING TIPS

Do not add too much light sauce or oyster sauce as the black bean is already salty.
When frying the bittergourd, add a few slices of ginger to reduce the cooling property of the bittergourd.
When frying the black bean and garlic, the fire must be low or it will get burnt easily.
Do not overcook the beef or it will be hard and chewy.