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Braised Winter Melon That Tastes Even Better Than Meat

This braised winter melon dish is savory, glossy, and deeply flavorful, with pan-fried slices cooked until beautifully golden and tiger-skin patterned. Tossed with chilies, garlic, and a rich soy-based sauce, it is a simple but irresistible home-style dish to serve with rice.

Jump to Recipe ↓Braised Winter Melon That Tastes Even Better Than Meat

Dish type: Braised

Cuisine: Chinese

Estimated calories per recipe: 690

  • spicy
  • garlicky
  • savory
  • umami
  • contains_soy
  • quick
  • dairy_free
  • nut_free

Translated from a real Chinese home-kitchen recipe — never AI-invented.

Ingredients

  • winter melon
  • chili pepper
  • bird's eye chili
  • garlic
  • light soy sauce
  • dark soy sauce
  • oyster sauce
  • sugar
  • chicken bouillon powder (optional)
  • cooking oil

Steps

  1. 1

    Peel the winter melon.

    Step 1
  2. 2

    Cut it into four sections.

    Step 2
  3. 3

    Remove the soft inner pulp and seeds.

    Step 3
  4. 4

    Trim the edges slightly to make the finished dish look nicer.

    Step 4
  5. 5

    Cut into thick slices.

    Step 5
  6. 6

    Dice the chili pepper, cut the bird's eye chili into sections, and crush the garlic. Place them into a bowl with the seasonings.

    Step 6
  7. 7

    Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce (for color), sugar, oyster sauce, and chicken bouillon powder (optional) to make a sauce.

    Step 7
  8. 8

    Heat a pan and add oil. When the oil is warm, add the winter melon and pan-fry until both sides are golden and develop a tiger-skin pattern.

    Step 8
  9. 9

    Once everything is fried, remove and set aside.

    Step 9
  10. 10

    Heat a little oil in the pan again. When hot, add the seasonings and bloom in oil until fragrant.

    Step 10
  11. 11

    Add the fried winter melon and stir-fry evenly.

    Step 11
  12. 12

    Pour in the prepared sauce and stir-fry until everything is evenly coated.

    Step 12
  13. 13

    The delicious braised winter melon is ready.

    Step 13
  14. 14

    It really tastes better than meat—so good you'll be too busy eating to say a word!

    Step 14

Tips

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