Monday, June 14, 2010

Boiled Stuffed Bitter Gourd

Boiled Stuffed Bitter Gourd or "Kaeng Jeut Ma Ra Yad Sai ; แกงจืดมะระยัดไส้ " in Thai . I found bitter gourd from Asian Market two weeks ago. I wanted to try to make this soup for my breakfast and I would like to try something new for my husband. Bitter gourd is good for your health and is used a lot in natural medicines.

Ingredients:
1) 2 Chinese bitter gourds
2) 3 carrots
3) 1/2 radish
4) 4 cilantro roots
5) 4 shitake
5) 3 thin soy sauce or fish sauce
6) 6 cups of water
7) 2 sprigs cilantro

Ingredients for the stuffed:
1) 10 ground shrimps
2) 10 shatake
3) 6 cilantro roots
4) 1/2 tsp pepper powder
5) 2 Tbsp thin soy sauce or fish sauce
6) 1 small coil mung bean noodle or grass noodle

Preparation:
1) Soak dried shetake mushroom in the water until softened. After that remove the tough portions of the stems and squeeze the water out and set aside.

2) Soak mung bean noodle in the water until softened then cut into 1" length.
3) Wash the bitter gourd.
4) Cut into 2 " sections.
5) Remove the inside with fork or small knife.
6) Clean shrimps and peel shells.
7) Grind shrimps.
8) Cut shitake and cilantro roots into small pieces.

9) In a mixing bowl, mix ground shrimp, shitake and cilantro and season with thin soy sauce and pepper powder.

10) Add mung bean noodle and mix well.
11) Fill the bitter gourd section with the mixture.

12) Wash all vegetables for the soup.
13) Cut into a bite size.
14) Pour 6 cup of water in the pot on medium heat, add cut vegetables into the pot.
15) Place fill sections carefully into a pot.
16) Put the lid on the pot and simmer gently for 45 minutes or until the bitter gourd is tender. Add thin soy sauce and taste the stock and add more think soy sauce if you like.
17) Before serve garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!