Winter melon is a beloved Chinese staple that has always had a place in my household. I associate it with the cold months of my childhood, simmering away in a warm, cozy kitchen as winter settled in outside.
If you haven't heard of winter melon, it is an Asian vegetable (well, technically a fruit), that is used in many different dishes including soups, curries, and even stir fries. Nowadays, my favorite bubble tea is actually winter melon.
It has a subtle slightly mild sweet flavor with a crisp texture similar to watermelon. It has a large oval shape with a green tough outer skin. Usually, you can find it already cut up at your Asian grocery store.
Another name you might find for winter melon is ash gourd. Now since winter melon is like watermelon, it has a high water content at 96% water content, making it low in calories overall. However, even with the high water and low calorie content, it has a decent amount of fiber at about 4 g per 1 cup. Just for reference, 1 cup of whole grain pasta has about 5.5 grams of fiber. And if you are looking for even more fiber in your diet, we have a Guide to Beans blog ready for you to read!
To process a winter melon, it is similar to a squash. You want to scoop out the seeds and pulp, then peel or chop off the skin. I find it has a very tough outer shell, therefore I just use a knife to cut off the skin.
In savory dishes. I use it similarly to potatoes except it takes far less time to cook. In soup or curries, I will add it towards the end of the cooking process and cook it until it is clear and soft.
My favorite savory dish is winter melon chicken curry! It utilizes Burmese flavors to make a creamy, rich curry, perfect over a bowl of warm rice. However, a more Chinese application is a light chicken soup with winter melon added just to add flavor and body to the soup.
I included my family's recipe for winter melon chicken curry below. It is a relatively simple dish, that can be made to your own liking, as curry is a very versatile dish with many variations. So please, make it as you like!
Winter Melon Chicken Curry
Servings: 6-8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
1 Tablespoon oil
2 large onions, juilliene
1 jalapeno or serrano, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon Burmese roasted chili pepper flakes (or regular chili pepper flakes)
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, chopped into large cubes
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 can coconut milk
4 cups winter melon, seeded and chopped (large dice)
Salt to taste
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- In a large shallow pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil to medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
- Add the garlic, fresh pepper, and spices. Sauté until fragrant.
- Add the chicken, cook until mostly cooked through.
- Next, add the fish sauce and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and down to a simmer.
- Gently add the winter melon; be careful of the splash.
- Let the winter melon simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the winter melon is soft and translucent. In this step, the curry will also develop flavor and thicken.
- Season with salt or more fish sauce to taste. Serve alongside some white rice and top with cilantro.
Note: I topped my curry with fried lentil fritters, but any crunchy topping such as fried onions or peanuts would be amazing!
If you want to learn about other Asian vegetables or curries, join our hands-on Dim Sum class on Saturday, December 27 at 11am (but hurry, there are just two spots left!) or on our hands-on Indian Vegetarian class on Monday, January 26 at 6pm.
