Sunday Supper of Ga Kho Gung, Canh and Khổ Qua Xào Trứng

This weekend was the ultimate in all things summer. Swimming, crab feast on the Chesapeake Bay, naps, and more pool time. Somehow within there I fit in some adulting, too. With the holiday mid-week, if there’s any hope of eating home cooked meals, today was the day.

I’ve been craving Gà Kho Gừng and stir fried bitter melon for a while, and Anh has been wanting a canh. These three dishes are super simple and make for several tasty meals.

I ran out of  caramel sauce, so first had to make a new batch. Amazing what you can do when the toddler is out of the house! Now I have reason to make more kho dishes (and no excuses).

Once on the stove, everything was ready in 15 minutes.

Instead of shrimp in the canh, I opted for tofu, which con gái (daughter) gobbled up along with the greens. All other ingredients and method is the same. Super easy.

The stir fried bitter melon, however, still won’t make it past her lips (and it’s not for not trying). You can find bitter melon at Asian markets, or sometimes in better stocked grocery stores — our local Wegmans carries it, but is quite expensive and not as fresh.

Vietnamese Bitter Melon with Egg

Khổ Qua Xào Trứng

Serves 4, as side dish

• 1 bitter melon, sliced in thin half moons
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbs neutral oil

Cut the bitter melon in half, and half again long-ways to expose the seeds. Take a spoon and carve out the seeds to discard before slicing into 1/4″ thick half moons.

Scramble two eggs (or use Egg Beaters as a short cut), and add the sugar, pepper and fish sauce, mixing well and set aside.

Heat a skillet with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced bitter melon and sauté for about 5-7 minutes. Pour the egg mixture over the bitter melon and let set for a couple of minutes before stirring around to cook through.

Happy bellies all around.

Tags: Bitter Melon, Gà Kho Gừng, Khổ Qua Xào Trứng, Soup, Tofu, Vietnamese Bitter Melon with Eggs, Vietnamese Ginger Chicken