Fragrant Bitter Gourd Chicken

Name: Fragrant Bitter Gourd Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 52 min
Total time: 72 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 Chicken; 2 Lotus Leaves; 200 g Bitter Gourd; 200 g Pineapple; 150 ml Chicken Stock; 50 g Salted Soy Beans; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 Red Chilli Padi; 2 Red Chillies; Corn Starch; Red Chillies; Coriander; Spring Onions; 1 Tbsp Sugar; 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil

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Level

moderate

Cooking

52 min

Preparation

20 min

Ingredients

Servings

Chicken jumbo sized	1
Lotus Leaves blanched	2
Bitter Gourd cut into thick strips	200 g
Pineapple cut into thick strips	200 g
Chicken Stock	150 ml
Salted Soy Beans whole	50 g
Garlic minced	3 cloves
Red Chilli Padi halved lengthwise	2
Red Chillies large sized, deseeded and cut into chunks	2
Corn Starch mixed with water
Red Chillies for garnish
Coriander for garnish
Spring Onions for garnish
Sugar	1 tbsp
Cooking Oil	1 tbsp

How to cook

Prepare the chicken

Remove the spare parts from the chicken cavity.
Rinse and clean the chicken.

Prepare the lotus leaves

Blanch 2 lotus leaves in hot water and rinse.
Stack the lotus leaves.

Marinate the chicken

Place the chicken belly down on the stacked lotus leaves.
Season both the inside and outside of chicken with salt then set aside.

Start cooking

In a heated frying pan, add oil and sauté garlic, salted soy beans and red chilli padi till fragrant.
Add the bitter gourd and pineapple, and fry for 2 minutes over medium-high heat.
Add the red chillies and chicken stock, then bring it to a boil.
Add sugar, then thicken the mixture with corn starch.
Pour the mixture over the chicken and wrap it firmly with the lotus leaves.
Fold aluminium foil into a long strip, then wrap the foil around the leaves to secure it.
Steam for 45-50 minutes.
Remove from the steamer then unwrap the foil and lotus leaves before serving.
Garnish with coriander, spring onions and red chillies.