Winter Melon Stir-Fried Shrimp is a delicious and refreshing dish made with winter melon and shrimp as the main ingredients. It is prepared using refined cooking techniques. Winter melon contains various vitamins and minerals, which have cooling, detoxifying, diuretic, and anti-inflammatory properties, providing excellent health benefits. Shrimp, on the other hand, is rich in protein and essential amino acids necessary for the human body, effectively supplementing the required nutrients. This dish offers a diverse texture, with the sweetness of winter melon complemented by the savory flavor of shrimp, making it a nutritious and flavorful delicacy.
Ingredients for Winter Melon Stir-Fried Shrimp:
| Winter melon | 200g |
| Shrimp | 150g |
| Cucumber | 50g |
| Green onion | 5g |
| Ginger | 3g |
| Garlic | 3g |
| Salt | 3g |
| Cooking wine | 2g |
| Sugar | 1g |
| Essence of chicken | 1g |
| Starch | 5g |
| Edible oil | 3g |
| Carrot | 50g |
Step:
1.First, prepare a winter melon. To remove its skin, peel off the outer layer, ensuring only clean flesh remains. Next, use a knife to scoop out the inner seeds and pulp of the winter melon, leaving behind an empty melon shell. Now, cut the winter melon into long strips for later use. Additionally, you will need some fresh shrimp. Wash the shrimp and place them in a bowl, adding a little cooking wine for marination to enhance their texture and flavor. Furthermore, we’ll need cucumber and carrot. Cut them into thin, elongated strips for better pairing with the winter melon and shrimp. Finally, prepare scallions, ginger, and garlic. Finely chop them and place them together in one bowl for later use.
2.Bring water to a boil in a pot and add a small amount of edible oil and salt. Adding edible oil will make the blanched winter melon appear translucent and shiny, while salt will enhance its flavor. Then, place the cut winter melon strips into the boiling water and cook for about 1 minute. Be careful not to overcook the winter melon, as it may become too soft or mushy. This method helps maintain the desired texture and nutrition of the winter melon while enhancing its visual appeal.
3.While blanching the winter melon, let’s prepare a sauce to enhance the taste and flavor of the dish. Start by preparing a small bowl and adding a moderate amount of starch and a little clear water to it. Then, add a suitable amount of salt, sugar, and essence of chicken. Stir well with chopsticks or a spoon until the starch is completely dissolved, creating a smooth and slightly thickened sauce. This sauce adds richness to the dish with a balance of savory and sweet flavors, along with the silky texture of the starch, providing more depth to the Winter Melon Stir-Fried Shrimp.
4.Once the blanching of winter melon is complete, within the first few seconds of removing it from the pot, we can add the shrimp. Place the shrimp in the pot and quickly blanch them to maintain their tender texture and appealing appearance. Next, add the cut cucumber and carrot strips to the pot. Let them blanch for a few seconds to slightly soften while retaining their crisp texture. Then, remove the blanched shrimp, cucumber, and carrot strips from the pot, drain off any excess water, and set them aside.
5.Heat oil in the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the minced scallions, ginger, and garlic, and quickly stir-fry them to release their aroma. Next, add the blanched winter melon, shrimp, and the prepared vegetable mixture to the pot. Stir-fry quickly to ensure even distribution of all the ingredients. Finally, evenly pour the previously prepared sauce over the ingredients in the pot. Continue stir-frying rapidly, allowing the sauce to coat the ingredients thoroughly and blend evenly. The purpose of this step is to fully cook and coat all the ingredients with the sauce. Through the process of stir-frying and enhancing flavors, the dish gains a rich and delicious taste.
6.After stirring everything together, transfer the stir-fried winter melon and shrimp dish to a serving plate. Choose a beautiful plate or bowl and arrange the dish neatly on it. The combination of the white-green winter melon, tender shrimp, and colorful vegetables creates an attractive dish with enticing aromas. The strong fragrance of the sautéed scallions, ginger, and garlic stimulates the appetite. When serving, you can garnish it with some finely chopped scallions or cilantro leaves for visual appeal. The dish has a shiny and translucent appearance, with vibrant colors that are hard to resist. Now, this delicious Winter Melon Stir-Fried Shrimp is ready to be shared with family and friends, bringing joy through the appreciation of good food.
Tips:
1.Select a firm and undamaged winter melon for this dish.
2.It is best to use live shrimp for the recipe. Remove the shells and devein the shrimp, then wash them thoroughly before using.
3.Pay attention to controlling the cooking time to avoid overcooking the winter melon and shrimp, which could result in the winter melon becoming too soft or the shrimp being overcooked.
Winter Melon Stir-Fried Shrimp is a delicious and aromatic home-cooked dish. When winter melon meets shrimp, they create a wonderful symphony of flavors. The winter melon is tender, with a subtle sweetness, while the shrimp is succulent and has a pleasant texture. During the stir-frying process, they blend together, creating a unique mouthfeel. The hot oil in the pan brings out the fragrance of the shrimp, making it tender and golden. Meanwhile, the winter melon releases its natural sweetness when subjected to heat, perfectly combining with the deliciousness of the shrimp. Every bite is a delightful experience that leaves you longing for more.