← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 500 g Pork ribs, cut into short pieces
• 1 large bitter gourd (about 400 g), halved, seeded, cut into chunks
• 1 tsp salt, for rubbing the gourd
• 6 Dried Chinese red dates (jujubes, hong zao), pitted
• 2 slices Ginger
• 1.8 l Water
• salt, to season, to taste
• ¼ tsp White pepper (optional)

Method

1. Blanch the ribs in boiling water for 5 min, then drain and rinse.
2. Rub the bitter gourd chunks with the salt and leave for 10 min, then rinse. This tames some of the bitterness.
3. Bring the water to the boil with the ribs, red dates and ginger. Cover and simmer for 45 min.
4. Add the bitter gourd and simmer for 25–30 min more, until it is soft and the ribs are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Tips

• The longer the gourd cooks, the milder it becomes; add it earlier if you prefer less bite.
• Some families add a handful of soaked soybeans or a salted vegetable for extra savouriness.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Huang Kitchen Noob Cook