Fen Si Gua (粉丝瓜)

Thanks to our friends, Peter and Queenie who gave us this very large organic melon grown in their garden.  It is the first time we have seen this kind of melon known as "fen si gua" aka "vermicelli melon". The inner part looks like a winter melon but when it is cooked, it releases "vermicelli-like" fibre which makes this dish tasty.


Ingredients
1/5 of a large fen si gua
3 dried shitake mushrooms - soaked, drained and cut into strips
2 tbsp dried prawns - washed and drained
1 red chili - cut into strips
2 cloves garlic - chopped
2 slices ginger
salt and pepper to taste
dash of sesame oil
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/4 cup water

Sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp huatiao wine

Method

1. Heat up 1 tbsp oil in a wok.  Fry the dried prawns till slightly browned and fragrant.
2. Fry the ginger slices and garlic till fragrant.  Add mushrooms and fry for a while more.
3. Add fensi gua slices and fry to mix well.  Drizzle sauce and mix well.  Add water and bring to a boil.
4. Cover and let it simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the melon is cooked to desired softness.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in some cornstarch solution to slightly thicken the sauce.
5. Drizzle a dash of sesame oil and transfer to a serving plate and serve warm with rice.