pork spare ribs , pickled chinese cabbage , bitter melon & chinese black mushroom soup

Pork Spare Ribs, Pickled Chinese Cabbage, Bitter Melon & Chinese Black Mushroom Soup : ต้มกระดูกหมู(อ่อน)ใส่ผักกาดดอง มะระและเห็ดหอมสด

This dish is always in my most favourite dishes. I am not sure why it has become my favourite. I guess it has something to do with my childhood and another reason could be the tangy flavour which comes from the pickled cabbage that keeps me addicted. (If you read my blog for quite a while, you should know by now that I love eating something tangy.)

Find below my recipe which is modified a little from my mum's original recipe.

1/2 kilo of Pork Spare Ribs (Free Range is preferred.)

2 cups of organic Pickled Chinese Cabbage, cut

1 cup of fresh organic Bitter Melon, cut

1/2 cup of fresh "Shiitake Mushroom" aka " Chinese Black Mushroom" (If you can't be able to find fresh ones, then dried ones will do as well.)

3 cloves of Garlic, crushed 

2-3 Coriander Roots, crushed & cleaned 

3 tablespoons of organic Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon of Black Peppercorn
4-5 cups of Chicken Stock (Home-made is preferred.)
Sea Salt

Garnish 

Organic Coriander Leaves 

Preparation 

Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add water and bring to the boil. Add bitter melon and leave to cook for 5 minutes. Drain and remove the bitter melon pieces into cold water. (Keep repeating the same process for a few times if the bitter melon is still very bitter.) Drain and keep them one side.

Set another large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken stock and bring to the boil. Add crushed coriander roots, crushed garlic, black pepper corn and pork spare ribs. Leave to simmer for over an hour or till the ribs becoming very soft and tender. Add pickled Chinese cabbage and bitter melon. Simmer for another 15-30 minutes. (This depends on how you like your vegetable cooked. If you like them soft, then you should leave them simmered for 30 minutes or longer but if you like them a little crunchy and firm then 15 minutes will do.) Add soy sauce. Taste if more seasoning is needed. (This soup should taste 50% tangy, 25% sweet & 25% salty.) Add Chinese black mushroom and turn off the heat. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve hot with a cup of steamed whole-grain rice.

Voila! Now you have delicious hot & light soup to keep you warm on a cold night.

Serve : 3-4