Stir-fried Bitter Melon with Dace and Black Beans
ID: ef0688b2...
This classic Cantonese home-style dish combines the crisp, slightly sweet finish of bitter melon with the savory, rich aroma of dace with black beans. By using a salt-maceration technique to remove bitterness, the bitter melon stays crunchy and vibrant without turning yellow, making it a highly appetizing side dish.
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🍳 Cooking Flow
Remove seeds and white pith from the bitter melon, slice it, toss with salt to draw out moisture, then rinse and pat dry. → Prepare sliced garlic, chili rings, and tear the canned dace into smaller pieces. → Heat oil in a wok, stir-fry the garlic, chili, and canned black beans until fragrant. → Add the bitter melon and stir-fry over high heat until about 80% cooked. → Add the dace pieces and a pinch of sugar, stir-fry quickly to combine, and serve.
Cooking Steps
Brief Cooking Order
Remove seeds and white pith from the bitter melon, slice it, toss with salt to draw out moisture, then rinse and pat dry. → Prepare sliced garlic, chili rings, and tear the canned dace into smaller pieces. → Heat oil in a wok, stir-fry the garlic, chili, and canned black beans until fragrant. → Add the bitter melon and stir-fry over high heat until about 80% cooked. → Add the dace pieces and a pinch of sugar, stir-fry quickly to combine, and serve.
Introduction
This classic Cantonese home-style dish combines the crisp, slightly sweet finish of bitter melon with the savory, rich aroma of dace with black beans. By using a salt-maceration technique to remove bitterness, the bitter melon stays crunchy and vibrant without turning yellow, making it a highly appetizing side dish.
Step 1
Clean the bitter melon and cut it in half. Use a spoon to firmly scrape out the seeds and the white, soft pith from the inside (the pith is the main source of bitterness, so the cleaner you scrape, the less bitter it will be).
Step 2
Slice the processed bitter melon into thin diagonal strips. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Let it marinate for about 10 minutes to draw out water, then rinse thoroughly with clean water and drain well.
Step 3
Slice the garlic into thin pieces and cut the chili into rings. Open the canned dace with black beans; use chopsticks or your hands to tear the fish into small pieces, and separate the black beans for later use.
Step 4
Heat the pan and add cooking oil (you can use the oil from the can for extra flavor). Add the garlic slices, chili rings, and the canned black beans, stir-frying until fragrant.
Step 5
Add the drained bitter melon slices, turn the heat to high, and stir-fry quickly until the color darkens and it becomes slightly soft (about 80% cooked).
Ingredients List
Important Notes
💡 The white, soft pith inside the bitter melon must be scraped clean with a spoon; this is the key to removing most of the bitterness.
💡 Salting the bitter melon not only draws out the bitter liquid but also helps the melon retain a vibrant green color and a crisp texture when stir-fried.
⚠️ Canned dace with black beans is already quite salty, so no extra salt is needed during cooking; a little sugar balances the bitterness and enhances the umami flavors.
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