EGG, BITTER MELON, CHILI SAUCE, RICE

Sometimes simple things are the most appealing. Bitterness, crunch, heat. With rice. Well, I can imagine some of my friends substituting pasta for rice, with the default pasta sauces they automatically go for -- cream, chives, bacon bits, garlic, and parsley -- which is also good.
But a mound of rice speaks to me.


涼瓜榨菜煎蛋
['Leung gwaa jaa choi jin daan']
Bitter Melon Preserved Mustard Omelette

3 eggs.
Pinch pepper.
1.5 TBS water.
2 TBS preserved mustard (榨菜 'jaa choi'),  minced.
2 TBS oil.
Quarter to half cup thinly sliced, soaked, and drained bitter melon.

[Or you could blanch the bitter melon briefly in boiling salt water.]


Beat eggs with pepper, water and preserved mustard. Heat wok over medium, when hot add the oil, then pour beaten egg in.
Let cook about half a minute, then strew the bitter melon into it. When the omelette is a golden on the bottom, take two spatulas, carefully lift and flip over. Let cook till set. Dump onto plate, serve hot. To be cut up with a serving spoon or just ripped apart by flying chopsticks.

You will note that omelettes are as good a reason as any to actually have a decent non-stick frypan; it does make things a whole lot easier.

Sriracha or sweet Thai-style hot sauce (or both) are good with this.


Sardines or baby oysters, in a modest quantity, can be added. Or stirfried with hot red chilies ("di sambal goreng") as a side dish. Add roast peanuts.


In any case, strong coffee or Hong Kong milk tea to drink.

Bitter melon (momordica charantia) is called 苦瓜 ('fu gwaa') or 涼瓜 ('leung gwaa') in Cantonese, karela in Hindi and Urdu, peria or pare ('pah-ray') in Indonesia and Malaysia, ampalaya ('palaya') in Tagalog, and sopropo in Sranangtongo. It is a cucurbit. Cut it in half and scrape out seeds and pith, then slice, and soak in salt water to remove some of the bitterness.
Middle Americans will probably hate it.



NOTE: The quantities given are for one person, and there may be left-overs. Just double it if you have a family, and be sure to have the sardine or oyster sambal goreng, so that there's enough food for everone.




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