The Secret to Cooking Crisp and Tender Loofah: An Extra Step for the Perfect Dish

Loofah, or mướp, is a versatile vegetable that can be cooked in a variety of ways. Here are some delicious dishes you can make with loofah:

– Stir-fried loofah with bean sprouts and chicken gizzards

– Crab soup with loofah and malabar spinach

– Stir-fried loofah with eggs

– Loofah soup with minced pork

The recipes for these loofah dishes are simple and easy to follow. However, there is a secret to achieving a delicious bowl of green and appetizing loofah soup without the discoloration that often occurs.

Many people have the habit of directly adding loofah to their dishes when cooking. While this may seem like the right thing to do, it is actually a mistake that can lead to discolored and unappetizing loofah.

Today, I will share with you some tips to avoid this issue and ensure your loofah dishes turn out perfectly every time.

1. Selecting the Right Loofah

Using old and stale loofah can greatly affect the quality of your dish. Therefore, it is important to choose fresh and high-quality loofah. When buying loofah, I usually look for the following three things:

– Opt for loofah with light green skin and a smooth surface, free from any signs of worms or roughness. If the skin looks wrinkled, it is likely an old loofah.

– Gently squeeze the loofah; it should have a good bounce and not feel too hard. Avoid loofah that feels soft or mushy.

– For loofah of similar size, hold them in your hand and compare their weight. Heavier loofah tend to be fresher, juicier, and more flavorful.

2. Preparing the Loofah

Loofah has a tendency to turn black due to the presence of melanin and high starch content, which can easily oxidize when exposed to air.

To prevent discoloration, keep these three points in mind:

– As soon as you peel and cut the loofah, soak the slices in water mixed with vinegar.

– When stir-frying or making soup, avoid adding salt too early in the cooking process. Instead, season the dish just before turning off the heat to ensure the loofah retains its color and flavor.

– Do not pre-fry the loofah before adding it to your soup. Instead, add fresh loofah directly to the pot. Use hot water for the soup, as prolonged cooking can cause the loofah to turn black.

– Loofah dishes are best enjoyed fresh and hot. Avoid leaving the dish out for too long or reheating it multiple times, as the loofah will oxidize and turn black, emitting a strong odor.

– Maintain a high flame throughout the cooking process, whether stir-frying or making soup.

COOKING LOOFAH SOUP WITH MINCED PORK

Ingredients

– 1 loofah

– 1 teaspoon of salt

– 1 tablespoon of cooking wine

– 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce

– 30g of potato starch

– 100g of ground pork

– Water

– Pepper

– Finely chopped ginger

Instructions

1. Peel and cut the loofah into bite-sized pieces. Soak the loofah in water mixed with vinegar to prevent discoloration.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the ground pork with dark soy sauce, chopped ginger, pepper, potato starch, and cooking wine. Mix well and let it marinate for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to absorb.

3. In a pot, bring water to a boil with some sliced ginger.

4. Shape the marinated pork into small balls and add them to the boiling water.

5. Once the pork balls start to float to the top, add the loofah slices to the pot.

Cook for about a minute, then add a dash of oil and salt to taste.

6. Turn off the heat and serve the soup hot.

On hot summer days, a bowl of this loofah soup, accompanied by crispy salted eggplant and “skateboard” tofu, is a perfect meal.