Hairy Gourd (Jie Gua) with Dried Shrimp and Glass Noodles Recipe

I love these vegetables!  Have you tried them? I believe these are called hairy gourd in English according to my research so do correct me if I'm wrong or if you know of another name for these yummy gourds.  This is such an easy, economical and simply satisfying dish.  If you are not used to these vegetables, they are pretty mild tasting and the texture is like a softer version of a cucumber in my opinion.  These are available at most Asian supermarkets so do pick one up the next time you're there!

This recipe is part of my Yuen Chun Recipes.

Ingredients:

1 large hairy gourd (jie gua), sliced and seeds/ skin removed

1 packet of glass noodles

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Handful of dried shrimp, rinsed

1 tablespoon or to taste light soy sauce (I used Yuen Chun's)

1 cup water or vegetables/ chicken broth

Dash of salt (optional)

Method:

Firstly, heat up your wok until almost smoking.  Add 4 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat.

Turn heat to low.  Add garlic and fry till fragrant.  Add dried shrimp and soy sauce.  Turn heat to high and add gourd pieces.  Add in the water or broth.  Bring to a boil.  Turn heat to low.  Add in glass noodles and cover, simmering for about 10 minutes.  Do a taste test and add more soy or salt if desired.  Please note that glass noodles will absorb the broth very quickly, so do add more broth if that's how you prefer your dish.

Dish out and serve hot.

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