Mouse Melon Stir-Fry

I found this cute-looking gourd at my usual stall in Mongkok. The middled-age man and the old lady (I guess Mum & Son) are always very kind to me. I know that it must be annoying to answer all the foreigner's (gwái-pòh!) questions. Not only do I ask the name of their produces, how to cook them, but also how to write the name in Chinese! They are so patient. And I am so lucky and thankful.

This fruit plant is called "mouse 老鼠 lóuh-syú"  melon (gwâ 瓜) due to its shape and colour which looks like the small rodent. The surface of the melon is covered by a greyish fur-like velvet.

Ingredients:

• 2 mouse melon 老鼠瓜
• 2 square pcs of dried bean curd (dauh-fuh-gôn - 豆腐亁）
• 1 medium size wheat gluten / gluten meat (mihn-gân 麵根)
• 100gr fresh oyster mushrooms
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 shallots
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil

Seasoning:

• 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce (seafood sauce)
• 1 tsps light soya sauce
• 1 tsps sugar
• black pepper & salt, to taste

Note: I also added 1/2 zucchini (left-over) 

Steps:

1. Wash clean the mouse melons.
2. Peel and cut lenghtwise. Using a spoon scrap to remove the seeds and fibrous flesh.
3. Cut again lengthwise and slice into 1 cm thick pieces.
4. Wash and cut into large pieces dried bean curd and gluten meat. Pat dry with paper towel.
5. Wash the mushrooms. Pat dry with paper towel.
6. Heat oil in frying pan. Stir-fry bean curd and gluten until lightly brown. Set aside.
7. In the same pan stir-fry garlic and shallot until translucent.
8. Add mushrooms. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
9. Add melon, beancurd, gluten meat and seasoning in. Mix all ingredients well (if necessary add a little bit of water)
10. Reduce heat to low and cook until mouse melon is tender.

The taste of mouse melon is a bit similar to zucchini squash. Mouse melon flesh is firmer and greener, and it better holds its shape than fuzzy melon (hairy gourd / jit gwâ 莭瓜).  It does not have the strong hearthy flavour of the angled gourd (silk gourd 絲瓜).

I will definitely buy again this gourd and highly recommend it to you!