Bitter melon (margoze) with prawns stir fry

Bitter melon (margoze) with prawns stir fry

Ingredients:
650 grams fresh bitter melons,
2 medium red ripe tomatoes,
1 medium onion thinly sliced,
1 tablespoon crushed garlic,
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger,
250 grams green prawns,
chopped red chillies to taste,
2 tablespoons vegetable oil,
1 cup chicken stock,
2 medium size eggs,
3 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions,
salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:
Cut bitter melons in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape out the centre whitish parts. Soak in lighty salted water for 30 minutes. Remove from salt water and wash in running cold water. Pat dry and using a very sharp knife, cut into bite size pieces or to your preference.
Cut the onion in half and finely cut into thin slices. Cut the tomatoes into quarters then into eights. Finely crush the garlic and finely chop the ginger. Put aside.
Shell and devein the prawns, wash under running cold water. Pat dry and cut into halves or to your preference. Light season with salt and pepper. Mix well together. Put aside.
Heat oil in thick based saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sliced onions, crushed garlic and finely chopped ginger. Stir fry until the sliced onions become transparent. Add the tomato pieces and stir fry. Allow the tomatoes to cook and crush the tomato pieces with your wooden spoon until half blended into the onions.
Add the bitter melon pieces and mix well with the ingredients in the saucepan. Add the chicken stock and the finely chopped red chillies. Mix together the ingredients. Cover and allow to simmer over medium heat.
When the bitter melon pieces are half cooked, add the prawns. Mix well together, cover and allow to simmer. Stir at intervals and mix the ingredients to ensure even cooking.
Check at intervals to see if the bitter melon pieces and prawns are cooked. Gently stir the ingredients from the bottom of the pan to ensure that you don’t burn the bitter melon and prawns. Check the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too watery, uncover and allow the sauce to thicken. On the other hand if sauce is too dry, add a little bit of hot water or chicken stock to adjust sauce consistency to your taste.
When ready, whip the two eggs in a bowl and pour in a thin stream over the cooked bitter melon pieces and the prawns. Allow to cook a bit on the surface, then gently stir mix the whipped eggs with the rest of the bitter melon pieces and prawns. Allow the eggs to cook.
Transfer to the serving dish and sprinkle with the finely chopped spring onions. Serve with rice.