Bitter gourd braised chicken

Ingredients

1 bitter gourd about 300g

1 pc chicken thigh ( cut into big pieces )

2 shallots ( cut into thin slices)

5 slices of ginger

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp black bean sauce

1/2 tsp dark soya sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

some salt

some oil

Preparation

1. Cut the bitter gourd into rectangular shapes. Rub it with some salt and leave it for 5 minutes ( to remove bitterness). Wash away the salt.
2. Marinate the chicken with 2 tbsp light soya sauce and pinch of salt for 30 minutes.

3. Heat up some oil in the saucepan and shallow fry the bitter guord for about 5 minutes until it is half-cooked. Dish up and set aside.

4. Pour out the oil and leave about 2 tbsp oil in saucepan.

5. Stir fry the shallot until fragrant. Add in the ginger and chicken.

6. Stir fry chicken for a while over high heat.

7. Return the bitter gourd to the saucepan. Put in oyster sauce, black bean paste, sugar, dark soya sauce and stir fry to mix well.

8. Add in 60ml water and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

9. Dish up to serve.

Bitter gourd and lean meat soup

Ingredients

150g bitter gourd ( cut into thin slices)

50 g carrot ( cut into slices)

100g pork fillet ( cut into thin slices)

1 tbsp corn flour

1 tbsp light soya sauce

some salt

Preparation

1. Add some salt to bitter gourd. Rub it evenly and leave it for about 5 minutes to remove bitterness. Wash away the salt.

2. Marinate the meat with 1 tbsp corn flour and 1 tsp light soya sauce.

3. Boil about 1 litre water in pot. 

4. Add bitter gourd and carrot into the pot and cover to boil over lower flame for 30 minutes.

5. Put in the meat and bring to boil. Do not stir after adding the meat.

6. Add salt to taste when the meat is cooked.

7. Serve the soup hot.

*This soup taste a bit bitter, but it seems that it is good for "cooling" when one feels "heaty".

Black pepper chicken

Ingredients

300g boneless chicken ( cut into slices )

1 green pepper ( cut into thin slices)

1/2 red chilli ( cut into thin slices)

1 big onion ( cut into thin slices)

1 shallot ( cut into thin slices)

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2-3  tbsp black pepper sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp corn flour

pinch of salt

some oil

Preparation

1. Add corn flour and light soya sauce to the chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Heat up 2 tbsp oil in saucepan and stir fry the shallot until fragrant. Put in the chicken and stir fry over high flame for a while.

3. Add in onion, green pepper, red chilli, oyster sauce, black pepper sauce and pinch of salt.

4. Stir fry for about 1/2 minute or until the ingredients are cooked.

5. Dish out to serve.

Steamed fish in banana leaves

Ingredients

250g grouper fish ( boneless, cut into chunks of 1.5" x 2")

1 banana leaf ( cut into 4.5" square pieces )

1 red chilli ( cut into thin strips)

3 slices ginger ( cut into thin strips)

2 slices cabbage ( cut into the size of fish chunks)

2 tbsp curry paste

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp oyter sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp santan ( coconut cream)

Preparation

1. Add to the fish chunks curry paste, fish sauce, oyster sauce, light soya sauce and santan. Marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Place a piece of cabbage on the banana leaf. Put a piece of fish chunk, with a few strips of chilli and ginger on top of it. 

3. Wrap up and seal the two ends with toothpick or simply use a stapler if you are lazy.

4. Steam for 10 minutes.

5. Serve with white rice.