side dish

Pork Stir Fry with Bitter Melon and Eggs over Rice Noodles

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This is a variation of Champuru, a cuisine of Okinawa, Japan. In this recipe, homemade rice noodles are steamed first to create a mochi-like texture, then pan fried to create the crispy texture. Bitter Melon is rubbed with salt and rinsed with water to reduce its bitter taste.

Tips:

  • When rice flour is mixed with water and steamed, the heat encourages the gelatinizing process, thus creating a mochi-like texture.

  • All rice flour is naturally gluten-free. Make this dish completely gluten-free by using gluten-free substitutes for other ingredients as needed.

  • Asian ingredients such as dashi, oyster sauce, and bitter melon can be purchased online or at Asian grocery stores.

Yield:

4 servings

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Ingredients

For the noodles

1½ cups (260g) rice flour

⅓ cup (60g) potato starch
Additional oil for pan frying the noodles

For the stir fry

¼ cup (50ml) canola oil
Salt and pepper for taste

1½ teaspoons (4.5g) dashi powder
Vegetable oil for stir frying

2 teaspoons (12ml) light soy sauce
Julienned nori (dried seaweed) for garnish

1-1½ cups (250-380ml) water

1-2 (100g) bitter melon (about 1 cup)

4oz/120g pork belly

1 (60g) carrot, julienned (about ½ cup)

1 teaspoon (3g) oyster sauce

½ teaspoon (3ml) tomatoes (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon (6g) eggs, beaten

2 (200g)

4

Directions

  1. For the noodles

    Bring the steamer to a boil.

  2. Mix rice flour, potato starch, canola oil, dashi powder, and soy sauce in a bowl. Gradually add water. Form two balls and transfer to a heat-proof bowl.

  3. For the stir fry

    Steam for 25 minutes or until the color inside turns as tanned as the outside.

  4. Dust the surface with potato starch. Roll the dough into a sheet, 1/4 inch (7mm) in thickness. Slice the dough into 1/3-1 inch (1-3cm) wide strips.

  5. Heat a generous amount of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Pan fry the noodles until golden brown.

  6. Remove seeds and pith of bitter melon. Slice thinly and rub with salt, then rinse with running water. Drain and set aside.

  7. Season pork and carrots with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine dashi powder, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Set aside.

  8. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté carrots and pork. When cooked thoroughly, add bitter melon.

  9. Add tomatoes, eggs, and the sauce. Simmer.

  10. Serve with nori (dried seaweed) on top.

Note

  • This recipe uses US customary units. Measurement equivalents include: 1 teaspoon = 5ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, and 1 US cup = 237ml or 8fl oz. (1 metric cup = 250ml or 8.5fl oz.)
  • The cooking time using microwave oven in this recipe is based on 1,000W in the US.
  • The temperature and baking time may be different depending on the oven used. Please adjust accordingly.
  • All rice flour is naturally gluten-free. Make this dish completely gluten-free by using gluten-free substitutes for other ingredients as needed.