Hi, everybody!
Thanks for visiting our food blog.
We had long weekend here in Singapore, and it was gorgeous and hot weather (as always). I hope you had a restful weekend.
Today’s dish is very unique one which I invented combining traditional Japanese food, cold Soba noodle and simmered winter melon (冬瓜).
冬瓜 is very popular vegetable in Japan and summer is the season for that. So, no wonder 冬瓜 is on the market whole through the year in Singapore. 冬瓜 contains a lot of great nutritions for us for resisting hot and humid environment. It consist of 95% of water and it is very low calories that is almost same calories with seaweed. And contains great amount of potassium which works for blood pressure and reducing swelling. Naturally our bodies are apt to swell in hot season, summer. So, consuming 冬瓜 in hot weather is very reasonable and sensible.
Going back to the story of our cooking, I braised 冬瓜 in Dashi soup with the pork, and add the consistency using potato starch. Then allow them to be cold in a fridge for a couple of hours, and served with cold matcha soba noodle dipped into the Dashi soup together.
I dared to serve whole 冬瓜 without any cuttings but I sliced into mouthful size for the courtesy after seeing some cheerful and surprised excited faces at the table. (I accidentally made a cut on one point though!)
I love the nicely juicy and gourd-y texture that absorbed all Umami flavours of Dashi soup, and that matched with cold matcha soba which is slightly bitter taste. We loved it.
Today, it is another hot day that I love, so please keep yourselves hydrating and stay safe. Maybe it would worth trying 冬瓜 for the dinner?
See you again tomorrow in our blog!
Naoko xx
