Gaeng Jeud Mara Sai Moo
I’m not sure if it’s the bitter cold here in Iowa that reminded me I had made this soup recently or if I’m craving it again. It’s probably both. In Thailand, soups are divided into two categories; spicy soup and non-spicy soup. The spicy soup category includes those favorites such as Tom Yum Gai and Green curry. The non-spicy soup, generally not well known in the States, is more typical of the western idea of a broth type soup. We ate both types quite a bit and if there were children under the age of six in the house there was always a bowl for them at the children’s table. Unlike it’s western counterpart Thai non-spicy soup is eaten with rice and is part of the main meal.
Pork-stuffed Bitter Melon soup is one of my favorite non-spicy Thai soups. It is probably taken from the Chinese as there is a huge Chinese influence in Thailand. The first time I had it I absolutely hated it but, the more I ate it the more it grew on me. Now I get cravings for it’s unique flavor. You can find bitter melon at your local Asian market if they have a good produce section. I’m lucky mine does so when I get a craving for this soup I can just pop down for one and scurry home to make soup.
One thing I’ve noticed about Thai soups is that it does not require a lot of time. While you can use stock or bullion cubes I’ve done it without. I make mine pretty much the same way I’ve seen our cook back home make it a million times.
1 bitter melon, cut into 3-4 sections, hollow
½ lb of ground pork
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 cilantro root or 3 cilantro stems, finely minced. Keep leaves for garnish.
2 Tbsp soy sauce
If you have a mortar and pestle ground garlic, white pepper, and cilantro until it forms a paste. If you do not, mince together finely. Mix ground pork, white pepper, salt, garlic, and cilantro stems until combined. Stuff into hollowed bitter melon. In a pot bring to boil 4-5 cups of water, add stuffed bitter melon and soy sauce. Boil for half an hour until melon is very tender. Garnish with a dash of white pepper and cilantro leaves, serve with rice.
Enjoy!
Recipe slightly adapted from Thai Table.
Pork-stuffed Bitter Melon soup is one of my favorite non-spicy Thai soups. It is probably taken from the Chinese as there is a huge Chinese influence in Thailand. The first time I had it I absolutely hated it but, the more I ate it the more it grew on me. Now I get cravings for it’s unique flavor. You can find bitter melon at your local Asian market if they have a good produce section. I’m lucky mine does so when I get a craving for this soup I can just pop down for one and scurry home to make soup.
One thing I’ve noticed about Thai soups is that it does not require a lot of time. While you can use stock or bullion cubes I’ve done it without. I make mine pretty much the same way I’ve seen our cook back home make it a million times.
1 bitter melon, cut into 3-4 sections, hollow
½ lb of ground pork
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 cilantro root or 3 cilantro stems, finely minced. Keep leaves for garnish.
2 Tbsp soy sauce
If you have a mortar and pestle ground garlic, white pepper, and cilantro until it forms a paste. If you do not, mince together finely. Mix ground pork, white pepper, salt, garlic, and cilantro stems until combined. Stuff into hollowed bitter melon. In a pot bring to boil 4-5 cups of water, add stuffed bitter melon and soy sauce. Boil for half an hour until melon is very tender. Garnish with a dash of white pepper and cilantro leaves, serve with rice.
Enjoy!
Recipe slightly adapted from Thai Table.
posted by OnigiriFB at 11:41 AM
1 Comments:
Thank you!
I've been craving for this since I left home.
Hopefully a local Asian shop sells some ma-ra :D
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