Bitter gourd stir fried fish is a dish that bitter gourd lovers can never resist. The fresh, meaty pieces of the fish are first patted lightly in cornflour and then deep fried. This seals in the freshness and juiciness of the fish meat and the mildly, spicy and salty black bean sauce just clings to the slightly starchy and crisp coating of the fried fish. This dish is best served with a bowl of piping hot rice.
Halve the bitter gourd lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the bitter gourd into thin slices.
Blanch the bitter gourd in hot water with salt added, about 2 minutes. (To remove bitterness ). Remove and set aside.
Cut the fish into pieces, wash and drain well. Marinate the fish pieces with some salt and pepper. Coat the fish with cornflour.
Heat up a wok with some oil. Fry the fish until slightly brown. Set aside.
Heat up some oil in a saucepan or wok. Stir fry garlic, onions, shallot, fermented black bean and bird's eye chili until fragrant.
Add the blanched bitter gourd and stir fry over high heat for about 2 minutes. Then add the seasonings. Stir everything together. Add in hot water using the same bowl for the seasoning. Stir fry evenly.
Lastly put in the fried fish pieces. Toss the fish with the stir fried ingredients for about 1 minute. Serve warm with rice.