stir-fryChinese bitter gourdis one of the most common and popular ways to cook it.Stir-fried Chinese bitter gourd is a traditional famous dish from Sichuan Province, belonging toSichuan cuisinethe Sichuan cuisine.Stir-frying Chinese bitter gourd may seem simple but isn't. It's usually done over high heat.If not controlled well, it can burn or cook too slowly,leavingit not crisp and refreshing.Thus, mastering the timing is crucial for stir-fried Chinese bitter gourd!

How to Stir-fry Chinese Bitter Gourd

Prepare ingredients: Chinese bitter gourd, garlic

Seasonings: salt,chicken essence/MSG

MSG

Process:1. Clean the bitter gourds thoroughly, especially the leaves; remove any worms or yellow leaves.

Drain and set aside in a bowl.

2. Chop garlic, peel them clean and cut into small pieces; don't make them too fine to avoid burning on the pan.

3. Heat the wok with plenty of oil for bright green color but not excessively to keep it from being too greasy.4. When about 80% of the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic.5. When the garlic turns golden yellow, quickly add salt.

The purpose of adding salt is to maintain the green color and prevent it from turning dark.

6. Stir-fry with the bitter gourds; ensure each leaf gets a chance to be fried in the oil with seasonings.

7. Once the leaves are mostly bright green, you can see water coming out of the pan; then turn off the heat and serve.

Kitchen Tip:

Carefully remove the leaves; avoid any wormy or yellow oneswhen stir-frying garlic, keep an eye on the heat; add salt after a few seconds.Adding salt slows down vitamin loss and helps preventvegetables

from turning dark.

Do not over-stir-fry the bitter gourds to avoid them turning dark and losing nutritional value.

How to Stir-fry Chinese Bitter Gourd StemsSome people eat the leaves and stems separately, with different ways for each part.Some prefer to blanch the leaves in boiling water before mixing with oil and salt for cold dishes;others enjoy the stem,chili, and garlic.

Chinese bitter gourds cater to various tastes!

Prepare ingredients: Chinese bitter gourd stems, red chili peppers, blended oil, salt

Process:

1. Collect the stems from the leaves of the bitter gourd.

2. Trim off any damaged ends and cut into uniform lengths.

3. For thicker stems, split them in half to enhance flavor; thinner branches don't need splitting.

4. Prepare red chili peppers for a better look, using more if you prefer spicy food.

5. Cut the chilies into thin strips.

6. Pour an appropriate amount of oil.

7. Add the prepared bitter gourd stems and stir-fry them.

8. After a short while, add chili peppers and garlic; since I like my chilies well-cooked, I added them earlier; for those who prefer raw chilies, delay their addition.

9. Add an appropriate amount offermented bean paste; this is a purchase from online as it's harder to find in Beijing; I prefer the Hunan style from Liuyang.Some use Old Dry Bean Paste instead.

10. Stir-fry until done, then serve for a fresh and tasty home-style bitter gourd stem dish.

How to Stir-fry Chinese Bitter Gourd Leaves

Prepare seasonings:

Main ingredients: Chinese bitter gourd leaves

Auxiliary materials: oil in appropriate quantity, salt in proper amount, MSG in moderate amount

Process:

1. Soak the bitter gourd leaves in a basin filled with water for about ten minutes.

2. Rinse thoroughly and drain off excess water.

3. Heat the pan with oil.

4. Add the bitter gourd leaves to the hot oil.

5. Push the leaves aside, then add a little salt.

6. Add some MSG.

7. Mix well and serve.