Crispy Winter Melon
A Zhejiang-style dish featuring a crispy exterior with a tender interior, fragrant and flavorful.
Ingredients
winter melon, peeled and seeded
500 g
peanut oil
500 g (actually uses 150 g)
strong flour
75 g
five-spice powder
1 g
baking powder
2 g
salt
10 g
monosodium glutamate
2 g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Peel the winter melon, scoop out the seeds and pulp, wash it, and cut it into strips 3.5 cm long and 0.3 cm thick. Marinate with fine salt for 30 minutes, gently press out the excess water, stir in the monosodium glutamate, and set aside. Mix the flour with water to form a thick batter, then stir in the five-spice powder, baking powder, and 15 g of peanut oil until smooth.
2
Step 2
Place a wok over high heat, add the 500 g peanut oil, and heat to 60–70% hot. Dip the winter melon strips one by one into the batter and drop them into the oil, giving them a quick preliminary fry before removing them. Once all the strips have been fried once, raise the oil temperature to 80–90% hot and return the winter melon to the wok for a second fry until golden brown. Remove and drain off the excess oil before serving.
