A simple vegetarian meal often starts with bau kho nuoc tuong. The gourd turns soft and sweet, soaked in soy sauce, and the liquid is exactly right spooned over rice. The difficulty is keeping the pieces from collapsing.
The gourd is stir fried for 2 to 3 minutes to firm up before the seasoning goes in, which is what holds its shape through 10 to 15 minutes of gentle braising. Young gourd has softer, sweeter flesh and takes the seasoning faster.
This batch weighs about 695g, at roughly 58 calories per 100g.
Method
Peel the gourd, rinse it, cut it into rounds about 2cm thick, then quarter each round. Rinse the spring onions and chop them.
Set a pot over the heat with 2 tablespoons cooking oil and, once it is hot, fry 1 tablespoon minced shallot until fragrant.
Add the gourd and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes until it firms up slightly.
Season with 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, add 50ml water and stir.
Cover and braise over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the gourd is tender and has taken on the seasoning.
When the liquid has almost gone, take off the lid, add the 2 chopped spring onions and 1 teaspoon ground pepper, stir gently and turn off the heat. Turn out into a deep dish and pour the remaining sauce over.
Tips
Young gourd has softer, sweeter flesh and takes the seasoning quickly.
Stir frying the gourd until it firms up slightly before braising keeps the pieces whole.
Low heat under a lid cooks the gourd in steam and keeps the liquid from vanishing too fast.
The spring onion and pepper go in as the liquid reduces, and the heat goes off straight after for the best aroma.
Just 50ml of water is enough, since more of it plus the water the gourd releases turns the dish into soup.
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The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.