Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic; minced
- 1/2 yellow onion; minced
- 50-100g dried shrimps; rinsed & soaked in warm water (reserve water)
- 1 hairy melon; scrape the hairy exterior & sliced into thin pcs (2mm thick)
- 200g pork; cut into thin strips
- 1 handful Korean thick vermicelli; soaked in boiling water for 8 mins
- 800ml boiling water
- 1tbsp oyster sauce
- 2-3 tsp light soya sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- pepper to taste
- dash of chicken powder
- chilli flakes; optional
- oil for cooking
Method
1. Oil wok & sautéed dried shrimps until fragrant. If it gets dry, add in some dried shrimp soaking liquid.
2. Add in minced garlic and onion. Continue to sautéed until fragrant.
3. Add some more oil. Put in all hairy melon slices and continue to stir fry for 5 mins. Add in seasoning such as chicken powder, light soya sauce, oyster sauce & sugar. Add in the balance dried shrimp soaking water and 500ml of the boiling water. Cover wok and simmer med heat for 10 mins.
4. Uncover wok and add in vermicelli (not its water). Add in the balance 300ml water or more as you prefer. Taste and adjust your final seasoning; adding in the pepper & chilli flakes if you wish. At this point, the seasoning should be slightly heavier than your usual cooking as the vermicelli will absorb much of it & at the same time, diluting the gravy.
5. Simmer for another 15 mins until hairy melons slices is completely soft (looks nearly transparent; no white bits).
Ps. This version is rather soupy as we love the gravy. You may wish to boil the liquid down accordingly before you add in the vermicelli.
Pps. This is a dish that requires a fair bit of oil to make it tasty and smooth so please do not be afraid to add in more than your usual cooking.