2 Bitter Melon
1lb ground pork
1 small bundle cellophane noodles
fish sauce to taste
black pepper to taste
cilantro
green onions
Wash bitter melon and cut in thirds, remove seeds. Soak and Cut cellophane noodles into short strands. Mix together noodles, pork, fish sauce, and pepper. Stuff filling into bitter melons pieces. Bring a pot to water to a boil, add bitter melon and fish sauce. Simmer until bitter melon is tender, add fish sauce to taste. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.
The Vietnamese name for Bitter Melon is “Khổ Qua”. Khổ means “hardship” and Qua means “over”. Together Khổ Qua means “hardship is over” thus, Khổ Qua is always served during new years so that all of the hardship can be swallowed allowing one to expect an easy going year to come.
