Red-Braised Winter Melon

红烧冬瓜

Winter melon cubes browned, caramelised with a little sugar and braised in soy sauce until they look and taste a bit like braised pork. Do not let the sugar burn.

  • 30 min
  • Easy
  • For elderly
  • Soft food

Ingredients 10

  • Winter melon 冬瓜to taste
  • Sugar 糖to taste
  • Light soy sauce 生抽to taste
  • Dark soy sauce 老抽to taste
  • Salt 盐to taste
  • Oyster sauce 蚝油to taste
  • Chicken powder 鸡精to taste
  • Spring onion 葱to taste
  • Cooking oil 油to taste
  • Water 水to taste

Steps 6

  1. Step 1

    Peel the winter melon and scoop out the seeds. Score a criss-cross pattern on the surface, then cut it into square chunks.

    冬瓜去皮去瓤,表面切上十字花刀,再切成方块。

  2. Step 2

    Heat oil and fry the melon until lightly golden on all sides.

    热锅放油,把冬瓜块煎到四面微黄。

  3. Step 3

    Push the melon to the side and melt a little sugar in the middle until it turns amber. Stir it through the melon at once; take care it does not burn.

    把冬瓜拨到锅边,中间放少许糖炒到变成琥珀色,马上和冬瓜炒匀,小心别炒糊。

  4. Step 4

    Add salt, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce and stir until the melon is evenly coloured.

    加盐、生抽和老抽,翻炒到冬瓜均匀上色。

  5. Step 5

    Add a small bowl of water, cover and cook until the melon is tender.

    加一小碗水炒匀,盖上锅盖焖到冬瓜熟软。

  6. Step 6

    Add the oyster sauce and chicken powder and boil on high heat to thicken the sauce; leave a little for the rice. Sprinkle with spring onion and serve.

    加蚝油和鸡精,大火收汁,别收太干,留点汤汁拌饭,撒上葱花出锅。