Bitter Melon soup with Pork (Sngo Mareash)

Bitter Melon soup with Pork (Sgno Mareash)

Many Khmer grandparents like Sgno Mareash because it tastes bitter and this soup is not for young kid.  Dried shrimp and dried turnip is salty you have to becareful with salt. You can  use Tralach instead of bitter melon for the children. 

3 small bitter melons cut to small size then take all the seeds out by making hole to stuff the meat inside
1/2 lb ground pork
1 small bunch bean thread soaked wash cut to tiny pieces
3 cloves of garlic pound to paste in mortar
2 T of dried shrimp soaked set aside
2 T of dried turnip wash set aside
1 T of soy sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube
½ t salt
2 green onions chopped for garnish
4 ½ cups water

In a mortar pound ½ t of salt, garlic to paste then add dried shrimp and turnip mix it well
Now add the ground pork to it do not pound it too hard just mix it or else your meat will be mashed, add 1 T of soy sauce and chicken bouillon cube to it then add soaked bean thread mix it again until well combine, take 1/3 cup of meat mixture out set aside for later

Take each bitter melon and stuff it with the meat mixture one by one until all done

In a medium pot put 4 ½ cups of water and bring to a boil, now add the stuff bitter melon cook it for 15 minutes or until tender then add ¼ of meat mixture to it bit by bit (tiny pieces) so the meat will cook the same time as bitter melon. It will take about 25 minutes for the bitter melon to get soft enough to eat.

Taste your soup adjust the flavor when the melon is done turn the heat off and garnish with chopped green onions.

Serve hot with cooked rice

Enjoy!