Bittergourd in Black Bean Sauce

We tend to use tartness and acid to help balance out the umami notes of a dish, but have you tried using the oft-maligned taste, bitter, instead?

Bitter gourd is one of our favorite ways to do this! The gourd starts off by acting as a sponge, soaking up the deep savory black bean sauce. Its natural bitter-sweet profile (think of a really dark chocolate or mole) then helps to cut through the initial savory-ness of the sauce, while each subsequent bites releases more sauce creating a time-release capsule of umami goodness. Toss in few more textures in the forms of carrots and mince and get ready to discover your new favorite dish.