← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 3 bitter melons (about 600 g)
• 300 g Minced pork
• 15 g glass (bean thread) noodles
• 5 g dried wood ear mushroom
• 1 Shallot, minced
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp Sugar
• ½ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Black pepper
• 1 l chicken or pork stock
• 500 ml Water
• 2 slices Ginger
• 2 Spring onion, sliced
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), chopped

Method

1. Soak the noodles and wood ear in warm water for 10 min, then drain and chop finely.
2. Cut the bitter melons into 4–5 cm sections and scoop out the seeds and white pith with a small spoon.
3. Mix the pork with the noodles, mushroom, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Pack the filling firmly into the melon sections, smoothing both ends. Roll any leftover into small meatballs.
4. Bring the stock, water and ginger to the boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Add the stuffed melon and meatballs and simmer for 25–30 min, skimming now and then, until the melon is tender and turns olive green.
5. Season the broth with a little more fish sauce or salt, then serve topped with spring onion, coriander and pepper.

Tips

• To tame the bitterness, rub the cut melon with salt, leave for 10 minutes and rinse before stuffing.
• Simmer gently: a hard boil makes the filling fall out.

Sources

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

Delightful Plate Hungry Huy Vicky Pham