Vietnamese bitter melon with egg omelette, also known as Khổ Qua Xào Trứng, is a simple dish consisting of eggs and bitter melon. The melon's bitter flavors are balanced by the eggs seasoned with fish sauce. This is a crunchy and savory dish best served with a warm bowl of rice.
There’s a running joke about bitter melon that is passed down for generations: You know you’re old when you enjoy consuming bitter melon. Yes, it was a bittersweet moment when I finally started to enjoy this delicacy.
Truth be told, if you didn’t grow up eating bitter melon, the bitterness can be a hit or miss for you and your dinner guests. I've introduced this dish to many of my friends. For them, the first bites were a bit shocking, but the following bites hooked them. I hope this encourages you to give bitter melon a few chances, because it really is delicious and is chock full of health benefit!
Regional Differences
Bitter melon omelettes are enjoyed all throughout Asia. Different regions of Asia have their own ways of seasoning this dish. Southeast Asian countries typically use fish sauce to season, while Chinese regions season the omelette with soy sauce.
Plot Twist: It's a fruit.
You would assume that it’s a vegetable because of its texture and taste, but it is in fact a fruit. This fruit is typically prepared as a soup, sautéed with other proteins, or sipped as a tea.
Picking Out Bitter Melons
You can find bitter melons at asian super markets all year round. The trick to finding ones that are less bitter is by studying its ridges. The more wrinkles on the exterior of the fruit, the more bitter it will be!
Bitter Melon with Egg Omelette Cooking Notes:
- My general rule of thumb for bitter melon to egg ratio is 1:2. If I'm introducing bitter melon to someone for the first time, I usually add an extra egg and a little bit more fish sauce to ease my guest into the bitterness of the melon.
- I haven't personally tried this, but there are online sources that say blanching the bitter melon before cooking the omelette will lessen the bitterness.
- This dish is best served fresh, but leftovers can easily be reheated in the microwave or stove top.
Savory Vietnamese Bitter Melon Omelette
Ingredients
- 1 large bittermelon
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp neutral oil I use avocado oil, but any neutral oil will work
Instructions
Preparing the bitter melon
- After you wash and dry the bitter melon, slice the melon in half vertically. Remove the meat and seeds of the fruit by using a spoon to carve the insides.
- After the seeds have been removed, slice the bitter melon into ¼ inch “C” shapes.
Preparing the eggs
- Crack 3 large eggs into a bowl.
- Add fish sauce to the bowl and whisk.
- Set the bowl aside.
Cooking the omelette
- Place a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Add oil to the pan. After it has heated up, add the bitter melon to the pan.
- Sauté the bitter melon until the color lightens up a bit or until your it has reached your desired texture.
- Using your cooking utensil, evenly space out the bitter melon on the pan.
- Add the eggs to and allow it to evenly coat the contents of the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 1 minute.
- Remove the lid and allow the omelette to cook off a bit of the moisture for another 30 seconds or so.
- Turn off the heat, transfer the eggs to a plate, and top with pickled birds eye chili and white pepper.
- This dish is best enjoyed with rice and other family-style dishes!
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