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Cold Bitter Melon Salad — finished dish, ready to serve.

Bitter Melon Salad (Liang Ban Ku Gua)

凉拌苦瓜 · pan chinese cuisine

20 min total5 min cooking4 stepssavorybitter-fresh

Bitter melon is traditionally valued for its cooling properties. The author notes that this preparation reduces but does not eliminate the bitterness, and recommends not chilling the finished dish since bitter melon is considered cold-natured.

Kwame Boateng's profile photoKwame BoatengGhanaian-American guy learning to recreate my mom's groundnut soup and jollof without calling her every time. Currently obsessed with getting smoky flavor on a stovetop.

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Nutrition & allergens

Contains:SoyWheat

Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.

Per serving (4 servings)

Energy (kcal)
Unknown
Protein (g)
Unknown
Fat (g)
0.3(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
Carbs (g)
Unknown
Sodium (mg)
Unknown

Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.

  • bitter melon苦瓜

    2.0 piece — medium-sized; rinsed, halved, and white pith scraped out, then sliced

  • Oyster sauce ingredient identification photo

    oyster sauce蚝油

    0.35 oz

  • Granulated sugar ingredient identification photo

    sugar糖

    0.04 oz — optional; may be omitted

  • Chicken bouillon powder ingredient identification photo

    chicken bouillon鸡精

    to taste — optional

  • Fine salt ingredient identification photo

    salt盐

    to taste — add only after tasting; often unnecessary if the oyster sauce is salty enough

  • Blending sesame oil ingredient

    Blending sesame oil调合芝麻油

    0.04 oz — source gives a range of 1-3 g

Techniques you'll use

Steps

  1. 1

    Step 1

    Cold Bitter Melon Salad — step 1 visual checkpoint.

    Rinse the bitter melons clean. Use a spoon to firmly scrape out all the white pith from the inside. At the same time, bring a pot of water to a boil for blanching.

    ✅ Done when: The white pith is completely scraped away and the water is at a rolling boil.

  2. 2

    Step 2

    Blanching (chao shui) ↗
    Cold Bitter Melon Salad — step 2 visual checkpoint.

    Blanch the bitter melon. Once the water boils, add a little cooking oil to the water, add the bitter melon slices, and remove them as soon as the color turns a deeper green.

    ✅ Done when: The bitter melon slices turn a noticeably brighter, deeper green.

  3. 3

    Step 3

    Cold dressing (liang ban) ↗Chili-oil infusion ↗
    Cold Bitter Melon Salad — step 3 visual checkpoint.

    Drain the bitter melon slices well and transfer them to a bowl. Sprinkle with the minced scallions and garlic, add about 10 g of oyster sauce and a little sugar, and toss. Taste and decide whether to add salt (with 10 g of oyster sauce the seasoning is usually sufficient). Add chicken bouillon powder if using and mix well. Finally, drizzle with some chili oil or Sichuan peppercorn oil (oil only, not the solids) and a little sesame oil, then toss to combine. Note the order: the oils go on last.

    ✅ Done when: All slices are evenly coated with the seasonings and the oils are mixed in last.

  4. 4

    Step 4

    Cold Bitter Melon Salad — step 4 visual checkpoint.

    Optionally garnish with some red chili before serving.

    ✅ Done when: The dish is garnished and ready to serve.