Bitter gourd & watercress

 How to cook a simple Chinese dinner for 2 with bitter gourd and watercress?

It's often a challenge to shop and cook for 2 without overcooking or wasting food.

I have a medium size bitter gourd sitting in my fridge and I had to cook it soon before it goes bad. This morning at my local supermarket, I picked up some watercress which I could boil a soup with the quarter of a frozen chicken in my freezer, 300g of minced pork and eggs.

So, here's my 3 dishes plan for 2:

Watercress chicken soup with dates

Bitter gourd stuffed with minced pork

Bitter gourd omelette

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1) Watercress soup with chicken and Chinese dates

You want start with this first because you will need an hour to boil the soup. Soak the watercress in a basin. Add a teaspoon of salt (it helps to get rid of any unwanted grubs like small leeches). After all, watercress is grown by the river. Nowadays, vegetable are thoroughly cleaned before it hits the shelves but just to be safe.

Boil some water in a pan and blanch the chicken for a few minutes. This will help get rid of some chicken fat and residue. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Boil 4 bowls of water. Add the Chinese dates. I use 5 dates but you can add more if you like. Remember to make a small cut in the middle of each date so that the sweetness of the date flavours the soup.

Add blanched chicken and water cress.

Chop the water cress into half. Easier to manage when you add into the pot.

Bring to boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.

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2) Bitter gourd stuffed with minced pork

Some call this Hakka style Yong Tow Foo, dish of stuffed vegetable with meat but since it is only bitter gourd, it wouldn't make the cut. Start by marinating the minced pork with salt, pepper, 2 teaspoon of light soy sauce and 2 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix and mash the minced meat till it sticks together. Then leave it in the fridge for a few minutes while you prep the bitter gourd.

Cut the bitter gourd into half - half for the omelette and the other half cut into 1cm slices. Gut the bitter gourd and get rid of the seed. You will have pretty bitter gourd rings which you then stuff with the minced pork. Wet your hands and use your fingers. It easier.

Fry in some oil (any oil will do, I use peanut oil). About 3-4 minutes on each side or until brown. Set it aside once done.

For the sauce, brown 3 cloves of minced garlic and 2 sliced shallots in some oil. Add half a teaspoon of tauchu (fermented bean sauce) and add a cup of water. Bring to boil. Add 1 table spoon of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of black sauce and half a chicken cube. Add the stuffed bitter gourd. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Bring to boil and add some corn starch water to thicken the sauce.

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3) Bitter gourd omelette

Cut the bitter gourd into half horizontally. Then, slice into thin strips. Heat up some oil and add the bitter gourd. Season with half a teaspoon of salt. Cook for about 3 minutes. Beat 3 eggs lightly and add into the pan. Swirl the pan to make sure the bitter gourd are coated with the eggs evenly. Don't bother flipping. Just use your spatula to cut the omelette into half and then fold the omelette and flip over. It is done once both sides are browned slightly.

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