Steamed winter melon with preserved vegetables is a delicious vegetarian dish that looks impressive and is perfect for entertaining guests. In vegetarian cuisine, this dish is often used as a substitute for the traditional steamed pork with preserved vegetables. The “pork” in this dish is actually winter melon. When steamed, the winter melon becomes semi-transparent and resembles fatty pork. This dish pairs wonderfully with plain white rice.
Ingredients (serves 1-2 people)
- Small dried shiitake mushrooms – 6 pieces, about 100 g
- Dried preserved vegetables – about 50 g
- Winter melon – about 250 g
- Cornstarch – about ½ teaspoon
- Sugar – about 1 teaspoon
- Soy sauce – about 1 tablespoon
- Vegetable oil – about 1 teaspoon
- Sesame oil – about 1 teaspoon
- Vegetable oil – about 3 tablespoons (for frying the winter melon)
Direction
- Slice the winter melon and set aside.
- Soak the shiitake mushrooms in water until softened, then set aside.
- Soak the dried preserved vegetables in water for about 1 hour to remove as much salt and grit as possible, then set aside.
- Dice the softened mushrooms and preserved vegetables, then mix them with soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, oil, and sesame oil to marinate. Set aside.
- Fry the winter melon slices until golden brown.
- Line a bowl with the winter melon slices, then place the marinated mushrooms and preserved vegetables in the centre.
- Steam for 20 minutes.
- Let the dish cool for 15 minutes, then invert the bowl onto a large plate to serve.
- Remove the bowl and the dish is ready to be enjoyed.
This delicious vegetarian dish is definitely worth trying and is an elegant choice for entertaining guests at a dinner party.
