Winter Melons – Guide and Recipes

Though winter melon is taken into account fairly easy, I wish to cook dinner with it as a result of it could possibly take in flavors significantly better than different frequent greens. Moreover, winter melon is a good alternative for balancing the oily texture of a soup.

What’s winter melon

Winter melon, scientifically named Benincasa Hispida, is a melon that appears like a hybrid between a watermelon and a cucumber. It’s a member of the Cucurbitaceae household, together with melons, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, and pumpkins. One of these melon is simple to move and retailer as soon as harvested. Some folks know winter melon as butternut squash, a mild-tasting melon typically used as a vegetable in Asian cuisines, particularly Chinese language and Indian cuisines. It’s typically utilized in soups, stir-fries, braises, and even in drinks.

Winter melons, regardless of their title, develop in heat temperatures. These squashes are native to the nice and cozy areas of Southeast Asia. Nonetheless, they’re additionally extensively obtainable in different elements of the world.

A deceptive title

The title winter melon (We name it “Dong Gua” in Chinese language) is sort of deceptive as it’s not grown or harvested in winter. It’s normally sown later within the spring or fall.

Most crops are grown within the spring, and winter melons are harvested in late summer season or early fall. However after being faraway from the vine, winter melon has an extended storage life till winter (as much as 4 months). In winter, when greens are plentiful, winter melon turns into a preferred ingredient. One other standard cause could be that it is tremendous good with soups. However winter is a good season for soup. The younger winter melon has hair; nevertheless, it begins to lose them after maturation. Additionally, the hair turns into a waxy coating.

How massive can a winter melon be

Ripe winter melon can weigh as much as 40 kilos and a foot in size. At this dimension, the winter melon is spherical and darkish inexperienced with a waxy pores and skin. You possibly can simply decide up a pleasant bundle of sliced ​​winter melon from a close-by retailer in your comfort.

Winter melon and its advantages

Winter melon or butternut squash, white pumpkin or wax gourd are very fashionable in lots of South Asian nations. In China, we expect it is a tremendous wholesome ingredient due to its big selection of advantages.

• Winter melon can assist cut back irritation, the principle explanation for continual illness.
• It improves the digestive system because the fruit breaks down nicely within the abdomen.
• It accommodates numerous water and fiber, however accommodates few energy, which makes it the most effective dietary meals. Analysis reveals that winter melon is 96% water, which is nice for quenching your thirst and useful for watching your weight.
• Winter melon might cut back the danger of sort 2 diabetes by decreasing blood sugar ranges and insulin ranges.

Can winter melon be eaten uncooked?

Winter melon is to not be eaten uncooked. Moreover, it requires cautious cooking strategies, similar to simmering, braising, or sautéing.

What does winter melon style like?

Though ripe winter melon is a bit bland, unripe winter melon has a fragile sweetness. It has a nice, barely grassy taste that has been in comparison with cucumber, though a lot weaker. Ripe winter melons are fairly agency and dense and have misplaced their taste to some extent. But it surely nonetheless has freshness.

When you’ve tried the white pores and skin of watermelon, it tastes fairly much like winter melon. Subsequently, if winter melons should not obtainable, white-skinned watermelon can generally be used in its place.

How lengthy ought to winter melon be cooked?

Typically, winter melon is tremendous simple to cook dinner and requires little time. Winter melon slices solely want 4-5 minutes to simmer. For big items utilized in braises and soups, 20 minutes is sort of lengthy. Care must be taken when cooking as fruit can grow to be spongy if overcooked.

How one can Retailer Winter Melon

When you purchased an entire one, the best storage methodology is to maintain it in a cool, dry place as a result of one set and unwashed. As soon as lower, winter melon can maintain for as much as per week when saved within the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap.

How one can choose and purchase winter melon

When buying, attempt to decide on a dense, agency winter melon. Keep away from these with bruises, cuts, or moldy spots on the floor.

Getting ready the Winter Melon for Cooking

Typically, you’ll get winter melon already lower into 10 cm thick items. It’s essential to utterly take away the robust pores and skin and seeds. Then you may lower it into slices for stir-frying, giant cubes for braising, or actually giant chunks for soups.

Recommendation:

I like to recommend preserving a number of the pores and skin inexperienced to maintain the form after cooking. By the best way, it could possibly additionally enhance taste and enhance fiber content material.

A Braised Winter Melon Recipe

I really like bringing you a recipe for Braised Winter Melon with Floor Pork. With a small serving of floor pork, the winter melon chunks style similar to meat.

Directions

Take away the onerous pores and skin however maintain some gentle inexperienced elements. Then lower them into 5 cm huge items.

Warmth the wok and add 1 tablespoon oil, and place the winter melon items in it. Cook dinner for 5-6 minutes till the winter melon items are flippantly seared on the floor. Switch.

Add one other tablespoon of cooking oil and sauté the bottom pork till crispy. Transfer them to at least one facet of the wok and proceed frying the garlic, ginger and inexperienced onion till fragrant.

Return the winter melon. Combine nicely. then pour 2 cups of heat water. Cowl to simmer for five minutes.

Flip the winter melon then pour in 2 cups of heat water. Cowl to simmer for five minutes.

Take the lid and add the sunshine soy sauce, darkish soy sauce, white pepper and salt. Combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. And pour the water starch in it. Stir to thicken the sauce.

Lastly, drizzle with sesame oil, add the chilli and inexperienced onion wedges. Combine nicely.

Serve with steamed rice. The sauce is so good to explain and extra importantly, wholesome!