---
title: "Braised Winter Melon (红烧冬瓜)"
description: "Braised Winter Melon is a home-style vegetable dish with a glossy red color, rich aroma, and delicious flavor. The winter melon is tender and well-seasoned, making it a popular Chinese braised dish. Winter melon is rich in water, dietary fiber, and vitamin C, and has cooling, heat-relieving, diuretic, and swelling-reducing properties. Paired with simple seasonings, it is both nutritious and easy to digest."
image: "https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/ai-generated/other_hong-shao-dong-gua.jpg"
url: "https://cookbook.cn-trending.com/r/vegetable_dish_hong-shao-dong-gua/"
---

# Braised Winter Melon

**红烧冬瓜 · hóng shāo dōng guā**

> Time: 25 min · Difficulty: Medium · Calories: 519 kcal · Serves: 1 serving · Category: [Vegetables](https://cookbook.cn-trending.com/c/vegetable_dish/) (素菜)

Braised Winter Melon is a home-style vegetable dish with a glossy red color, rich aroma, and delicious flavor. The winter melon is tender and well-seasoned, making it a popular Chinese braised dish. Winter melon is rich in water, dietary fiber, and vitamin C, and has cooling, heat-relieving, diuretic, and swelling-reducing properties. Paired with simple seasonings, it is both nutritious and easy to digest.

![](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/ai-generated/other_hong-shao-dong-gua.jpg)

## Ingredients

- 300 g Winter melon (冬瓜) — per serving
  - Tip: Choose winter melon with dark green skin, thick flesh, and a heavy feel.
- 50 ml Cooking oil (食用油) — per serving
  - Tip: Any regular vegetable oil will do.
- 2 ml Cooking wine (Shaoxing) (料酒) — per serving
  - Tip: Used to remove fishiness and add aroma; regular cooking wine (Shaoxing) works well.
- 10 g Starch (淀粉) — per serving
  - Tip: Cornstarch or potato starch is recommended.
- 10 ml Light soy sauce (生抽) — per serving
  - Tip: Choose a light soy sauce with a strong umami flavor.
- 15 ml Dark soy sauce (老抽) — per serving
  - Tip: Used mainly for color; choose one with a bright red hue.
- 3 g Chicken bouillon powder (鸡精) — per serving
  - Tip: Used to enhance umami; add to taste.
- 0.5 stalks Scallion (香葱) — per serving
  - Tip: Choose fresh, bright green scallions.
- 1 grain Minced ginger (姜末) — per serving
  - Tip: Old ginger has a stronger flavor and is better at removing fishiness.
- 15 ml Oyster sauce (蚝油) — per serving
  - Tip: Adds saltiness, umami, and thickness to the dish.

## Tools

Wok, Cleaver / chef's knife, Cutting board, Large bowl, Spatula

## Method (8 steps)

1. **Prepare the Ingredients** — Peel the winter melon and cut it into small cubes no larger than 2cm on each side.
   - Duration: 5 min
   - Tip: Cutting the pieces evenly ensures consistent cooking.
   ![Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_hong-shao-dong-gua/step_1.jpg)
2. **Pan-Fry the Winter Melon** — Heat cooking oil in a wok, add the winter melon, and gently pan-fry for 2 minutes until the surface turns golden.
   - Duration: 2 min
   - Tip: Pan-fry over medium-low heat to avoid burning the outside while the inside remains raw.
   ![Step 2: Pan-Fry the Winter Melon](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_hong-shao-dong-gua/step_2.jpg)
3. **Set Aside** — Remove the winter melon and place it in a large bowl.
   - Duration: 30 sec
   - Tip: You can drain off some of the oil.
   ![Step 3: Set Aside](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_hong-shao-dong-gua/step_3.jpg)
4. **Stir-Fry the Base Seasoning** — Using the remaining oil in the wok, add minced ginger, light soy sauce, and oyster sauce one by one, and stir-fry for 15 seconds.
   - Duration: 15 sec
   - Tip: Keep the heat low to prevent the light soy sauce and oyster sauce from burning.
   ![Step 4: Stir-Fry the Base Seasoning](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_hong-shao-dong-gua/step_4.jpg)
5. **Braise over High Heat** — Add the winter melon back into the wok, stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add boiling water until it covers the surface of the winter melon. Braise over high heat for 10 minutes.
   - Duration: 11 min
   - Tip: Adding boiling water makes the winter melon more tender.
   ![Step 5: Braise over High Heat](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_hong-shao-dong-gua/step_5.jpg)
6. **Color and Braise** — Add dark soy sauce for color and continue braising until the winter melon is tender (a chopstick can easily pierce through it).
   - Duration: 5 min
   - Tip: Add dark soy sauce in small amounts at a time to avoid making the color too dark.
   ![Step 6: Color and Braise](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_hong-shao-dong-gua/step_6.jpg)
7. **Final Seasoning** — Add chicken bouillon powder, cooking wine (Shaoxing), and scallion, stir-fry for 30 seconds, then remove the winter melon and place it in a large bowl.
   - Duration: 30 sec
   - Tip: Add the scallion at the end for a better color.
   ![Step 7: Final Seasoning](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_hong-shao-dong-gua/step_7.jpg)
8. **Thicken and Glaze** — Keep the remaining sauce in the wok, add starch slurry, bring to a boil, then pour the sauce over the winter melon.
   - Duration: 1 min
   - Tip: Thickening with starch slurry gives the dish a brighter, glossier finish.
   ![Step 8: Thicken and Glaze](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_hong-shao-dong-gua/step_8.jpg)

## Tips

- If you find any issues or improvements while following this guide, please submit an Issue or Pull Request.
- Pan-frying the winter melon until golden is key to achieving a tender, well-seasoned texture.
- Make sure the water covers the winter melon to ensure enough braising time.

## Overview image

![Braised Winter Melon — ingredients and steps overview](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/overview/other_hong-shao-dong-gua_overview.jpg)

## Source

Recipe text from [HowToCook](https://github.com/Anduin2017/HowToCook), structured by [Vibe Cook](https://github.com/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend). Public domain (Unlicense).

Original: https://github.com/Anduin2017/HowToCook/blob/master/dishes/vegetable_dish/红烧冬瓜/红烧冬瓜.md

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