Winter Melon Stoup

Directions

1. Heat oil in pan and fry ginger and garlic till fragrant. Add in meat and fry till meat is partially cooked. Dish out and set aside. Add in mushrooms and fry till fragrant, mixing well with ginger and garlic, adding in 2 tbsp of water/stock if mixture is too dry while frying. Add in about 2 cups of water, then add in winter melon and return the minced meat to the mixture** and allow winter melon to simmer in mixture gravy. Allow the entire mixture to simmer at low heat till winter melon turns from "white" to "translucent". Add in gojiberries. Also add in brown sugar, then pinch of salt and white pepper to taste. Turn off heat and serve immediately. Drizzle 1-2 drops of sesame oil for final touch if you wish.
2. **Cooking Tip: For more flavors infusion, you can retain the melon "shell' by scooping out the flesh from the melon like what I have done. Halfway in the cooking process (say after "Adding water, then add in melon and meat for it to simmer..."), turn off heat from pan and dish out entire mixture to the hollowed melon. Then prepare to steam. Steam the mixture to cook which will take approximately about 10-15 minutes but longer for about 20 minutes if you want it more flavorful and "stew-like" - almost like slow-cooking! or "double-boiling"? Add gojiberries, then pinch of brown sugar, salt and white pepper to taste at the final moment of steaming...