Serves 4-6 people
750 g piece of wintermelon
1 thumb of ginger (sliced)
3 spring onions (cut into 5cm segments)
2 star anise
3 tbsp light soy sauce
100 ml shaoxing wine
120 ml water
2 tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in ½ cup water)
salt (to taste)
chopped spring onions (to garnish)

Recipe Courtesy of
Sarah Huang Benjamin

Braised Dong Po Wintermelon

This is a plant-based take on the classic Chinese dish Dong Po Rou, replacing meat with wintermelon that looks surprisingly like the original pork belly! I love how the wintermelon absorbs the flavors of the sauce and becomes beautifully soft. Perfect for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike, this Braised Dong Po Wintermelon is a must-have at your Chinese New Year gathering.

Difficulty: Medium

Preparation: 15 min
Cook: 80 min
Clean up: 15 min

Steps: 4 steps
14 Ingredients

Difficulty: Medium
Steps: 4 steps
14 Ingredients

Preparation: 15 min
Cook: 80 min
Clean up: 15 min

Instructions

Fry wintermelon
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the dark green skin off the wintermelon, leaving the slightly harder ‘pith’ part on. Cut the wintermelon into thick slices.
- Heat up the vegetable oil over high heat in a large pan with a lid. Pat the wintermelon slices very dry, then fry the pith side in the oil, until golden brown. Set aside.

Make dongpo sauce
- Stir the light soy, water, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, dark soy sauce and sesame oil together until combined to make the sauce.
Recommended for you

+6
Chinese Style Scrambled Eggs with Tomato

White Seafood Lor Mee

Lok Lok Sauce

Make dongpo wintermelon
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil, and saute the ginger, spring onion and star anise until fragrant.
- Place the wintermelon slices in the pan, on top of the aromatics. Pour in the sauce, and bring to the boil.
- Turn the heat down to let the sauce simmer gently for 1 hour, turning the wintermelon every 20 minutes to ensure that all sides are cooked in the sauce.
- When the wintermelon is tender, pick the slices out carefully and lay them in a serving bowl.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt if necessary
- Stir the cornstarch-water mixture into the gravy, and boil until thickened. Pour over the wintermelon.

Plate and Serve!

Garnish with spring onion and serve!

Prev Recipe

Mala Steamed Fish

Next Recipe

Braised Spicy Chicken Hotpot

Categories:

Reviews

Name: Braised Dong Po Wintermelon
Prep time: P0Y0M0D0H15M0S
Cook time: P0Y0M0D1H20M0S
Total time: P0Y0M0D1H35M0S
Yield: Serves 4-6 people
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 750 g piece of wintermelon; 1 thumb of ginger (sliced); 3 spring onions (cut into 5cm segments); 2 star anise; 3 tbsp light soy sauce; 100 ml shaoxing wine; 120 ml water; 2 tbsp brown sugar; ½ tsp dark soy sauce; 4 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in ½ cup water); salt (to taste); chopped spring onions (to garnish)