Date: 07/12/2025 07/13/2025
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Weekly Buddhist Cuisine Menu
Dry Pot Bitter Melon
Summary：
This is a slightly bitter yet refreshing vegetarian dish, where bitter melon is stir-fried in a dry pot to absorb the rich flavors of seasonings.
Ingredients：
Bitter melon 300g (deseeded and sliced)
Red bell pepper 50g (sliced)
Shiitake mushrooms 100g (sliced)
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Vegetarian oyster sauce 1 tbsp
Doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste) 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
White pepper powder to taste
Cooking oil 1 tbsp
Water as needed
Instructions：
1.Prepare ingredients:
Wash and deseed the bitter melon, then slice it. Slice the red bell pepper and shiitake mushrooms.
2.Blanching:
Bring a pot of water to a boil, blanch the bitter melon for 30 seconds to reduce bitterness, then drain.
3.Stir-frying mushrooms:
Heat oil in a pan, add the shiitake mushrooms, and stir-fry until they release some moisture.
4.Adding seasonings:
Stir in the doubanjiang until fragrant, then add the bitter melon, red bell pepper, soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, salt, and white pepper powder. Stir well.
5.Dry pot finishing:
Add a little water, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes on low heat until the bitter melon is fully infused with flavor. Once the sauce reduces, transfer to a dry pot and serve hot.
