天热要多吃苦瓜，教你新吃法，不炒不炖不凉拌，上桌比吃肉还过瘾

Quick Overview

The video demonstrates a new method for preparing stuffed bitter melon (bitter gourd) by mixing mashed tofu with ground pork and seasonings, stuffing this mixture into hollowed-out bitter melon rings, pan-frying them until golden brown, and then steaming them before topping with a savory garlic and red pepper sauce.

Key Points: The recipe involves preparing bitter melon by cutting it into rings, removing the pith, blanching it for two minutes in salted, oiled water to reduce bitterness, and setting it aside. The stuffing consists of mashed tofu, ground pork, chopped scallions, grated ginger, cooking wine, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, salt, and cornstarch, which are mixed thoroughly. The hollowed bitter melon rings are stuffed tightly with the meat/tofu mixture and then pan-fried with the stuffed side down until golden brown, then flipped to brown the other side. After browning, the stuffed bitter melon is placed on a plate, covered, and steamed over high heat for 10 minutes. A savory sauce is prepared by stir-frying minced garlic and diced red pepper in oil, then adding light soy sauce, oyster sauce, a little sugar, and finally thickening it with a cornstarch slurry. The finished, steamed stuffed bitter melon is topped generously with the prepared sauce and garnished with chopped green onions before serving. The resulting dish is described as having a slightly bitter but pleasant taste from the melon, with a very smooth filling, making it enjoyable even for those hesitant about bitter melon.

Context: This video is a Chinese cooking tutorial presented by a creator named '小颖美食' (Xiao Ying Meishi), focusing on an appealing preparation method for bitter melon (苦瓜) combined with a tofu and pork stuffing. The main goal is to present a way to cook bitter melon that minimizes its inherent bitterness while creating a flavorful and satisfying dish, suitable for summer consumption due to the melon's cooling properties.

Detailed Analysis

The tutorial begins by preparing the bitter melon: two are shown, cut into 2cm thick rings (00:14), with the inner pith and seeds carefully scooped out using a small knife (00:20), a process the creator notes reduces bitterness. Next, the filling is prepared. A block of tofu is salted and blanched in boiling water for five minutes to remove the beany flavor (00:06-00:10), then removed and mashed into a coarse paste using a wooden pestle (00:40-00:48). Separately, a piece of pork belly is sliced thinly and then minced into ground meat (00:51-00:57). The filling is assembled by combining the mashed tofu and ground meat, adding chopped scallions (01:07), grated ginger (01:09), one spoonful of cooking wine, two spoonfuls of light soy sauce, one spoonful of oyster sauce, pepper, salt, and finally one spoonful of cornstarch (01:17-01:31), mixing everything thoroughly (01:32). The hollowed bitter melon pieces are blanched for two minutes in boiling water with salt and oil to remove oxalic acid (01:42). After blanching until bright green, they are cooled (01:47). The prepared meat/tofu mixture is then tightly stuffed into the bitter melon rings (01:55). These stuffed rings are pan-fried in hot oil, first on the stuffing side until golden brown, then flipped to brown the other side (02:14-02:22). Once browned on both sides, they are transferred to a steaming plate and steamed over high heat for ten minutes (02:29). While steaming, a sauce is made by stir-frying minced garlic and diced red pepper in hot oil until fragrant (02:55-03:01). Then, one spoonful of light soy sauce, one spoonful of oyster sauce, and a small spoonful of white sugar are added (03:03). After stirring, one bowl of cornstarch slurry is added to thicken the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon (03:11-03:16). The cooked stuffed bitter melon is removed from the steamer (03:21) and the prepared sauce, topped with chopped green onions, is poured over the dish (03:27). The final dish is presented, noted for the slightly bitter but tender texture of the melon and the very smooth filling.