Braised Spare-ribs and Bitter Gourd

Ingredients:

800g pork ribs
1 medium sized bitter gourd, cut into pieces

knob of ginger (about 3cm), minced

4 cloves  garlic, minced 

2 shallots, minced

2 tbsp fermented soy beans

1/2 tsp fermented black beans

2 birds' eye chillies (optional)

10 g rock sugar / 1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp cooking wine

1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 1/2 cup  water

spring onion & coriander leaves - garnishing

cornstarch + water (for thickening the gravy)

• Cut the pork ribs in between the bones.  Blanch in boiling water for a minute.  Drain.
• Heat oil in a saucepan.  Saute ginger, shallots and garlic until fragrant.  Add fermented soy beans and black beans and chillies.  Stir for a minute.
• Add in pork ribs and stir fry for about 5 minutes.  Then add in wine, dark soy sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and pepper. Stir fry for another minute before adding water.  Bring to the boil.  
• Lower the heat and let it simmer until ribs are tender.  Add in bitter gourd.  Cook for another 15 minutes.  Thicken gravy with cornstarch.