Bitter melon stuffed with a savory pork filling, simmered in a light broth until tender.
This dish pairs bitter melon's distinctive, slightly bitter flavor with a savory ground pork and mushroom filling, simmered together in a clear broth. It's a dish especially associated with southern Vietnamese home cooking and traditionally eaten around Tet, when bitterness is thought to symbolize leaving hardship behind for the new year. Salting the bitter melon briefly before stuffing helps temper some of its sharpness, though the goal isn't to eliminate the bitterness entirely — it's meant to be there, balanced by the rich, savory pork filling and light broth.
Serves 4
Rub the halved, seeded bitter melon with salt and let sit 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.
Combine ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, glass noodles, shallots, 1 tbsp fish sauce, and pepper, mixing well.
Pack the pork filling firmly into each bitter melon half.
Press the filling in firmly so it doesn't fall out during simmering.
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a pot. Gently lower in the stuffed bitter melon, reduce to a simmer, and cook 25-30 minutes until the melon is tender and the filling is cooked through.
Season the broth with remaining fish sauce to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with scallions, and serve hot with rice.
Salt the bitter melon briefly before stuffing to soften its sharpness, but don't skip the bitterness entirely — it's central to the dish.
Pack the filling firmly so it stays intact through the simmering process.
Simmer gently rather than boiling hard, which can break apart the stuffed melon.
Add shrimp to the pork filling for extra flavor.
Use ground chicken instead of pork for a lighter version.
Skip the stuffing and simply slice the bitter melon into the broth with the pork formed into meatballs instead.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days; the bitter melon softens further on reheating but remains flavorful.
This dish is a traditional part of Tet celebrations in Vietnam, where bitter melon's name in Vietnamese sounds like a phrase meaning suffering has passed, making it symbolically significant for the new year.
Yes, its distinctive bitterness is the whole point of the dish; salting it beforehand only softens the sharpness slightly rather than removing it.
Yes, though wood ear mushrooms add a nice chewy texture; you can omit them or substitute another mushroom variety.
Its Vietnamese name is a homophone for a phrase meaning hardship has passed, giving it symbolic meaning for starting the new year fresh.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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