Dad loves bittergourd. Thought I would stir up braised bittergourd with chicken and earn some brownie points tonight. 😊
Easy dish. For a non bittergourd lover, i kinda enjoyed it too. Goes well with steamed rice.

Ingredients: Serves 4
2 chicken thighs with drum – skin removed and cut into pieces
1 bittergourd (about 400 g) – remove seeds and cut into thick strips
Ginger (20 g) – cut into thin pieces
3 cloves garlic – minced

Seasonings
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1½ tbsp fermented black beans
Shaoxing wine
100 ml water

1 tbsp cornstarch (mixed with 3 tbsp of the gravy from the stew to make a slurry. Use more cornstarch if you want a thicker sauce)
Salt to taste

Instructions
1. Rub bitter gourd slices with salt to reduce bitterness. Sit for 10 – 15 minutes then rinse.

2. Heat up oil in a wok or claypot. Stir-fry bitter gourd for about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

3. Add ½ tbsp of oil. Stir-fry garlic, ginger and fermented black beans till fragrant. Add chicken and fry till the surface is no longer pink.

4. Return the bittergourd to the claypot. Adjust seasonings or liquid if necessary. Add salt to taste. Once you’re satisfied with the taste, pour in the corn starch slurry to thicken. Finish off with a splash of shaoxing wine.