Vietnamese Stir Fried Bitter Melon & Eggs – "Kho Qua Xao Trung" Recipe

Bitter Melon (aka bitter gourd) is called “muop dang” or “kho qua” in Vietnamese. They call it bitter melon because it’s quite bitter and can be an acquired taste for some. In Vietnamese cuisine, it’s often cooked with other ingredients to offset it's bitter punch.

I often think it’s almost a right of passage and knowing that you’ve crossed over to an Vietnamese adult lol.

A popular dish to cook bitter melon in Vietnam is with eggs so today we’ll be making stir fried eggs with bitter melon! Read on to learn a few tricks to avoid overly bitter bitter melon!

Here are a few tips my family does to subdue and prevent the bitterness:

*When picking bitter melon it is better to choose younger melons that have fewer and smoother ridges. The older the bitter melon is, the more defined ridges & wrinkles it will have, it will also be quite bitter.

*If you slice your bitter melon thin and soak it in a bowl of salt water it will also cut the bitterness.

*Adding a pinch of sugar will also offset the bitterness when cooking.

INGREDIENTS

1 bitter melon

Salt Bath:
1 tsp salt

3-4 large eggs (4 eggs if your have a larger portion of bitter melon to use)
1 tbs water
½ tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp fish sauce (sub with soy sauce for vegetarian)

1 tbs neutral oil (I used YouYou)
1 garlic clove (crushed, minced)

1/4 tsp fish sauce (sub with soy sauce for vegetarian)
2 tbs water + 1/2 tsp sugar

Black pepper

1 chopped green onions (thinly sliced)
Chopped cilantro (optional)

Serve with a side of fish sauce with some fresh slices of thai chili peppers.
Fish sauce
1-2 thai chili peppers thinly sliced (to reduce heat, just add a couple slices of chili pepper, no seeds)



PREPARATION

1. Cut bitter melon in half length-wise and with a spoon scoop and scrape out white pith and seeds inside.

2. Cut into thin half-moon shapes. In a bowl dissolve 1 tsp salt with cold water to cover for 20 min - 30 min, rinse, and drain/rinse (rinse a few times to competely remove salt).

3. Crack and beat eggs in a separate bowl with sesame oil and fish sauce, 1 tbs water, white pepper, and set aside.

4. Heat 1/2 tbs of oil on a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once oil is hot and glossy, add your garlic and stir until fragrant, then add bitter melon and sauté for a minute or two. Then add 2 tbs water and 1/2 tsp sugar and let cook until all water has evaporated. Add a little salt and fish sauce, and stir. Let them turn a yellow and slightly softened (3-4 min).

5. Lower the heat to low – medium and spread your melon slices across the pan and pour egg mixture on top.

6. With a spatula push the eggs towards the center of your pan and let mixture pile up to the center of the pan. Gently mix, push, and flip your eggs and do not overcook. Toss in some spring onions and toss again. Taste, add salt / fish sauce as needed. Pull eggs when the eggs are set and still moist/wet.

7. Serve warm, sprinkle generously some freshly cracked black pepper & spring onions and cilantro (optional) on top.

8. Serve with a side of fish sauce with thai chili.