Winter melon is a refreshing, nutritious dish that is very popular. Let’s get cooking with TasteVN and prepare 2 delicious and aromatic winter melon stews that will surely delight your family.
1. Winter melon stew with soy sauce
-
Preparation
30 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Winter melon stew with soy sauce For 2 people
Winter melon 1 piece Turmeric 50 gr Minced chili 30 gr Minced lemongrass 30 gr Boiled peanuts 50 gr Soy sauce 1 tablespoon Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Cooking oil 3 tablespoons Seasoning a little (seasoning powder/sugar)
How to choose good peanuts
- You should choose round, large peanuts; when you press a nail into the peanut, it should feel firm and plump.
- Choose peanuts with bright-colored shells, uniform size, and no broken or rotten ones mixed in.
- You should not choose peanuts that are moldy or have unusual colors.
How to Cook Braised Wax Gourd with Soy Sauce
-
Prepare the Ingredients
Peel the wax gourd you bought, soak it in saltwater for about 15 minutes, then rinse it clean and drain. Cut the wax gourd in half, remove the seeds, and slice it into pieces about 1 cm thick.
Boil the peanuts, peel them, and then crush them.
-
Make the Braising Sauce
Heat a pan on the stove with 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add 15g of minced chili, 50g of turmeric, and 30g of minced lemongrass and sauté until fragrant. Then reduce the heat, add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir the mixture well and then add 120ml of water, cooking until the mixture boils.
-
Braised Wax Gourd
Add the peanuts to the boiling sauce and cook for about 1 minute. Increase the heat, add the wax gourd, and turn it evenly. Reduce the heat again and simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes. Then add the remaining 15g of chili, turn the wax gourd evenly, and turn off the heat, serving it on a plate.
-
Finished Product
The dish of stewed winter melon with soy sauce is extremely light and appealing, with crispy, sweet winter melon combined with a rich sauce made from peanuts, lemongrass, chili, and turmeric, making it very suitable to serve with hot rice on vegetarian days!
If you love vegetarian dishes made from winter melon, don’t miss the recipe for stewed winter melon with soy sauce shared by users. The recipe is simple yet equally enticing.See details: How to make flavorful stewed winter melon with soy sauce for vegetarian days
2. Stewed Winter Melon with Mushrooms
-
Preparation
30 minutes
-
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Stewed Winter Melon with Mushrooms For 2 people
Winter melon 1 fruit Straw mushrooms 500 gr Tofu 2 pieces Tomatoes 2 fruits Soy sauce 3 tablespoons Green onions 50 gr Cooking oil 1 tablespoon
How to choose good ingredients
How to choose good tofu:
- Good tofu will have a white color. In contrast, tofu with gypsum will usually be more yellow; the more yellow it is, the more gypsum it contains. Therefore, you should avoid buying tofu pieces that are yellow or have a yellowish tint.
- If the tofu feels soft to the touch and feels light in your hand, you should buy it. Heavy, firm, and slightly hard tofu pieces should not be purchased. Pure tofu will have a fragrant smell, while tofu with gypsum will smell like lime or have no smell at all.
- Good tofu will have the characteristic rich flavor of soybeans, while tofu containing a lot of gypsum will taste astringent. Additionally, to ensure quality and hygiene, you can make tofu at home.
How to choose fresh straw mushrooms
- Choose straw mushrooms that are round, still budded, have a characteristic mushroom smell, and are still firm. Do not choose those that have bloomed wide. Black straw mushrooms are always better than white ones.
- Avoid choosing straw mushrooms that are moldy, bruised, or have strange smells. Choose straw mushrooms that are round, still budded, have a characteristic mushroom smell, and are still firm. Do not choose those that have bloomed wide.
- Black straw mushrooms are always better than white ones.
- Avoid choosing straw mushrooms that are moldy, bruised, or have strange smells. Additionally, you can choose other types of mushrooms to prepare this dish.
How to choose fresh tomatoes
- You should choose tomatoes with smooth, shiny skin, plump and juicy with a bright red color, and the stem should still be green.
- Avoid choosing those that are bruised or have small black spots, or have uneven colors of green and red.
- If you touch them and they feel too soft or too hard, or if juice flows out, you should not buy them, as they may be spoiled.
-800x450-1-2.jpg "2 simple, quick, and flavorful ways to cook winter melon stew 14")
How to Cook Gourd Braised with Mushrooms
-
Prepare the Ingredients
After buying the gourd, peel it, soak it in salt water for about 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and drain, cut the gourd in half, remove the seeds, and cut the gourd into small bite-sized pieces.
Soak the straw mushrooms in diluted salt water for 5 minutes.
Tip:
- Soaking in salt water will help reduce unhealthy substances in the mushrooms.
- After washing, you can place the mushrooms in a colander and gently rub them; all the impurities on the outside will be removed.
Cut the tofu into small square pieces about 3cm. You can also cut them smaller depending on your preference, but not too small as they will break when stir-fried.
Tip: If you buy white tofu, you should fry it briefly before braising to prevent it from breaking.
Wash the tomatoes and then cut them into wedges. Cut the onions to take the green onion tops and stems, then chop them finely.
-
Marinate the Ingredients
Combine the gourd, tofu, and tomatoes, add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and mix well to allow the ingredients to absorb the flavors for about 15 minutes.
-
Stewed Gourd
Place a pan on the stove with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, when the oil is hot, add finely chopped green onions to sauté until fragrant, then add straw mushrooms and stir-fry briefly.
Continue to add the gourd, tomatoes, and marinated tofu along with 100ml of water, stir-frying over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Cover the pot, lower the heat to a simmer, and stew for about 10 – 15 minutes until the gourd is cooked and the stew thickens, then turn off the heat. Sprinkle a little green onion on top to finish.
-
Final Product
The dish of stewed gourd with mushrooms is simple, with easily found ingredients, an attractive aroma, and a rich broth, all creating a humble yet highly nutritious meal for the whole family.
How to choose fresh and delicious winter melon
- You should choose large winter melons that feel firm in hand, with smooth green skin, plump, large stems, and still fresh, as these are young melons that will have a delicious and sweet taste.
- Avoid choosing winter melons that are dark green or black, as these are older melons, with many seeds, tough flesh, and will taste sour, which can affect the flavor of the dish.
- Although winter melon can be grown year-round, the best growing period is from May to September. During this time, the melons will be very fresh and tasty.
Benefits of winter melon
Thanks to its sweetness, coolness, and a rich content of minerals like calcium, phosphorus, protein, carbohydrates, and various vitamins such as carotene, B1, B2, B3, C,…. winter melon offers wonderful benefits such as:
- Beauty: Regular use will improve the skin, making it noticeably brighter.
- Reduces the risk of eye disorders.
- Good for cardiovascular health and the digestive system.
- Boosts the immune system.
- Supports height development.
See more:
Wish you success in making these 2 delicious and fragrant winter melon dishes!
*Source reference for the recipe and images from the YouTube channel Diệu Pháp Âm and MAI VÀNG CHANNEL
