Minor Heat · Dinner · Balanced
Braised hairy gourd with dried shrimp and glass noodles
Sweet, tender hairy gourd soaks up the savoury dried shrimp, with silky glass noodles — a light, cooling home dinner with rice.
- 35 min
- Serves 3
- Braise
- Easy
NeutralClears summer heatWakes the appetite
Why it suits you: Balanced constitutions do best simply following the season. In humid Minor Heat, hairy gourd clears summer heat without being cold, dried shrimp and pork add protein, and noodles with rice keep you full — light and never greasy.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min- 1Soak the dried shrimp for 15 minutes, squeeze dry and chop, keeping the soaking water. Soak the glass noodles in warm water for 10 minutes until soft, then snip shorter.
- 2Scrape the skin and fuzz off the hairy gourd and cut into thick batons. Mix the pork with a little of the soy sauce.
- 3Heat a little oil in a wok and fry the ginger, garlic and dried shrimp until fragrant, then add the pork and stir-fry until it changes colour.
- 4Add the gourd and toss, pour in the water and shrimp-soaking water and bring to the boil. Cover and braise over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes until the gourd turns translucent.
- 5Add the noodles, the rest of the soy sauce and the oyster sauce and braise for 2–3 minutes until the noodles soak up the sauce. Serve with rice.
Cautions
- Dried shrimp is shellfish — skip this dish if you are allergic to prawns or crab.
Chef's tips
- Pick small, firm hairy gourds with plenty of fuzz — they are the most tender. Keep the shrimp-soaking water; it is full of flavour.
The TCM view
Hairy gourd is sweet, neutral to cool and clears heat, eases thirst and promotes urination; dried shrimp is sweet and warm, wakes the appetite and balances the gourd; glass noodles, usually made from mung bean starch, are sweet and cool; lean pork is sweet, salty and neutral. Balanced overall — it cools summer heat without chilling digestion.
