Yen Can Cook ~ Braised Chicken With Bitter Gourd
Bitter gourd, a “not so popular” gourd vegetable due to its distinctive bitter flavour. Like many peoples out there who don’t like bitter gourd, my hubby and daughter not a fan too but THIS bitter gourd soup that I boiled was successfully got them to eat (I think “drink” would be more appropriate v(T▽T) ) bitter gourd.
Today’s Braised Chicken with Bitter Gourd 苦瓜焖鸡 is a classic home-cooked dish among the Chinese households in Malaysia. It is also one of the bitter gourd dishes that my mom will prepare and here’s my first try after getting tips from her.
Please take note on the amount of the ingredients because those are for 1 pax serving instead of 3-4 pax which I normally did.
Ingredients (Serve: 1)
150g chicken, cut into pieces
100g bitter gourd
1 thumb-sized ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fermented black beans, rinse and drained
2 teaspoons fermented bean paste (Taucu)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Pepper to taste
70ml water
Cooking oil
Marinade
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cooking wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
A dash of pepper
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Step 1: Marinate the chicken pieces with the marinade for at least 30 minutes.
Step 2: Cut the bitter gourd in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and white pulp with a spoon. Cut into thick strips. To reduce the bitterness, rub bitter gourd slices with salt. Let sit for 15-20 minutes then rinse. Skip this step if you don’t mind the bitter taste.
Step 3: Heat up cooking oil in a wok and cook the marinated chicken (Step 1) until the chicken is half cooked (for about 3 minutes). Remove and set aside.
Step 4: Add a bit more oil into the wok, saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Then add the fermented bean paste and fermented black beans, stir to mix well. Add the bitter gourd, chicken, oyster sauce and water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and braise for about 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken pieces cooked and tender. Add pepper to taste.
Note: You may add cornstarch water to thicken the sauce more but I didn’t because there’s cornstarch in marinade.
Step 5: Serve.
HAPPY COOKING! #dudukrumahagain #stayhealthy
I love bitter gourd! I always bought fried bitter gourds at mamak restaurants to munch like snacks.
Every time I see your cooking posts, I must admire all your photography skills. I could see your effort to make them better and better. Kudos.
TM, never thought that fried bitter gourd can be snack also, good idea!
Thank you again for your kind words and it’s definitely motivate me to take more pretty photos!
This looks delicious and nutritious at the same time. 😀 Wouldn’t mind eating this with one or two bowls of rice.
Tekkaus, this dish definitely goes well with rice.
i am following your blog always. great cooking skills. wish i can have 1/2 of your case, i am base in Vietnam, so i also to cook simple food for myself. I love bitter gourd soup, but i love the small, dark green dimple type. Lucky Vietnam have
Francis, thank you for following my post and please leave your kind comments always too. I’m still learning and there’re so many new skills and knowledge in cooking.
I happen to love bittergourd and don’t mind the bitter taste at all. This dish you cooked is one of my favorites. I used to buy LKK black bean sauce but this product seems to have discontinued for a long time already.
PH, I don’t remember I’ve ever seen LKK black bean sauce before. I cooked another bitter gourd dish too, stay tune!
Yes, like you, I cook one person portion all the time for dishes that my family doesn’t eat….and bitter gourd would be one of them. I started liking bitter gourd in my later years and would get it if I see it on the chap fan line! 😉
Kris, same here, I didn’t like it when I was a kid and then suddenly one day I accepted it after that initial taste, hehe . Peoples say one will like bitter gourd when they grown older.
I’ll choose bitter gourd dish too when I tapao zap fan, 😛
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