Chinese Bitter Gourd with Black Bean Sauce
Chinese Bitter Gourd with Black Bean Sauce is a classic stir-fry dish featuring sliced bitter melon cooked in a savory, fermented black bean sauce, often with garlic, ginger, and sometimes minced pork or shrimp. It's a staple in Cantonese and broader Chinese home cooking, prized for its bold, contrasting flavors.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is low in carbohydrates and fat, especially if prepared with minimal oil and without meat, making it a light, protein-boosted option if shrimp or pork is added. It's an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber, with a rough calorie count of 100-150 per serving for a vegetable-focused version.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 120 kcal |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbs | 14 g |
| Fat | 5.5 g |
| Fiber | 3.5 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 650 mg |
| Vitamin C | 85 mg |
| Vitamin A | 1200 IU |
| Folate | 70 mcg |
| Potassium | 450 mg |
| Iron | 1.5 mg |
| Calcium | 40 mg |
| Vitamin K | 25 mcg |
| Magnesium | 30 mg |
Per 1 cup (210 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Bitter gourd is celebrated in Chinese culture for its 'cooling' properties in traditional medicine, believed to balance internal heat. Nutritionally, it's unique for containing charantin and polypeptide-p, compounds studied for their potential to help regulate blood sugar levels.
