Fuzzy Melon Vermicelli with Dried Shrimp 節瓜粉絲蝦米煲 is the perfect hot dish for the summer. Fuzzy melon is a relative of the winter melon 冬瓜 and both have cooling properties and packed with nutrients. In Chinese herbology, fuzzy melon can give the body positive energy, healthy elimination, curbs thirst and removes dampness in the body. Dampness or 濕氣 can cause poor digestion, poor elimination, inflammation and insomnia. Someone who is too “damp” tends to have swelling of the limbs and has a feeling of heaviness. So, this is a good dish to have if you’re feeling bloated or just a little under the weather.
Have you ever made fuzzy melon and found that it tastes sour? In my Fuzzy Melon Vermicelli with Dried Shrimp 節瓜粉絲蝦米煲 recipe, I’ll tell you the secret of how to avoid this! Okay okay, I’ll just tell you now….no soy sauce! It’s that easy! Some people use oyster sauce instead but even some oyster sauce contains soy sauce, so remember to look in the ingredients list. I like to use fish sauce when I cook with fuzzy melon. Fish sauce has a light colour so it can keep the natural colours of all the ingredients. It also adds a seafood aroma to the dish. My favorite fish sauce is Squid brand fish sauce. I’ve tried some other ones but Squid brand seems to be the most aromatic. It gives a really nice complexity to the subtle flavours of the ingredients in this dish.
Mung bean vermicelli is an absolute must to complete this dish. It is a flavour sponge! However, don’t add it too early or it’ll soak up all the liquid and turn into mush.
Fuzzy Melon Vermicelli with Dried Shrimp 節瓜粉絲蝦米煲 is the perfect one pot meal for those who don’t like to consume too much rice. But it’s also really good with rice too!
For another fuzzy melon recipe, check out my Fuzzy Melon Pork Ball Soup 節瓜肉丸粉絲湯!
Fuzzy Melon Vermicelli with Dried Shrimp 節瓜粉絲蝦米煲
Ingredients
- 300 g Pork shredded
- 1.3 kg Fuzzy melon aka hairy gourd aka mogua, julienned
- 8 Shiitake mushrooms , julienned (fresh or dried)
- 10 g Dried shrimp
- 1 stalk Green onions , chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 3 slices Ginger
- 1 tbsp Abalone sauce or oyster sauce (must not contain soy sauce)
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
- 200 ml Water from soaking dried shrimp and dried shiitake mushrooms or broth
- 100 g Mung bean vermicelli (approx. 3 small bunches)
- 2 tbsp Oil
Ingredients for pork marinade:
- ½ tsp Fish sauce
- 1 tsp Corn starch
- ½ tsp Sugar
Instructions
- Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water overnight or at least 3 hours
soak overnight if your dried shiitakes are thick. Save the soaking water 
- Soak dried shrimp for 3 hours in water. Save the soaking water
- Soak mung bean vermicelli for 30 minutes
- Slice pork into shreds and marinate with ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp fish sauce and 1 tsp corn starch. Mix well and set aside
Note that I don’t use soy sauce when making fuzzy melon because it makes the fuzzy melon sour - Peel fuzzy melon
fuzzy melon is always peeled since having fuzz/hairs in your dish is not appetizing - Julienne fuzzy melon and set aside
- Remove dried shrimp and shiitake mushrooms from the water. Measure 200 ml of the soaking water and set aside.
If you don’t have enough, just make up the difference with water - Julienne shiitake mushroom. Dried shrimp can be chopped or left whole
- Chop 1 stalk of green onions
- Chop 3 cloves of garlic and prepare 3 slices of ginger
- In a pan or wok, add 2 tbsp oil then add pork. Arrange in single layer and let cook for 1 minute. Flip over and cook until browned. Remove from pan. Leave oil in the pan
- Add ginger to pan, fry until slightly browned
- Add garlic, dried shrimp and shiitake mushrooms. Fry until aromatic
- Heat clay pot on medium-high heat. Once clay pot is hot, transfer contents from the pan to the clay pot
- Add fuzzy melon and 200ml of the soaking water into the clay pot. Cover with lid, heat on high and bring contents to a boil
- Reduce heat to low and cook of 20 minutes
- Add pork, 1 tbsp abalone sauce and 2 tbsp fish sauce. Mix well
if you don’t have any abalone or oyster sauce, then add an additional 1 tsp fish sauce and ½ tsp sugar - Increase heat to high and bring to a boil
- Drain mung bean vermicelli and use kitchen shears to cut the vermicelli into shorter pieces
- Add vermicelli to clay pot. Mix well. Cover with lid. Turn off heat
Adding vermicelli last will prevent the vermicelli from absorbing all the liquid and getting mushy - Wait 10 minutes before opening lid
- Sprinkle with green onions and serve
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