Braised Wintermelon and Tofu

For this dish, I pan fried the winter melon first and then braising it with tofu in a sweet bean sauce. I prefer using hoisin sauce with some soy sauce and water.
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I peeled and cut the gourd into about 1/2-3/4 inch circles, then pan frying them. This adds flavor to the dish, and also help the gourd pieces stay together during the cooking. Then just add fried tofu (non-fried ones would fall apart easily in this dish), and cook together in the sauce for a while.

I like to eat it with red jasmine rice and some steamed veggies, like bok choy, chinese broccoli, green beans, or kale. Fresh crunchy cucumbers and lettuce would be good too.