Rice Cooker Winter Melon Pork Rib Soup 电饭锅冬瓜排骨汤

A few advantages of cooking winter melon pork rib soup in a rice cooker are, you'll be able to get clear soup, tender meat, and keeping the softened winter melon chunks in whole. Less attention is needed as the rice cooker thermostat and timer helps you monitor the cooking process and deliver it at your preset time :)

Servings: about 4 adults

Equipment: rice cooker with "Soup" function

Ingredients

400~500g peeled winter melon 去皮冬瓜

400~500g pork ribs 排骨

1 slice ginger 姜

1 stub white scallion 白葱段

1 stub coriander root (optional) 芫荽根

300～400g water 水

1/2 tsp rice wine 花雕酒

Salt & seasoning powder 盐和调味料

Directions

1. Cut away the winter melon skin and seeds, then slice the winter melon into thick chunks.

Don't discard the winter melon skin, you can use it to brew winter melon tea with dark brown sugar, pandan leaf and rock sugar. Directions can be found at the end of this recipe

2. Wash and rinse pork ribs. Season with 1/4 tsp each of sugar and low-salt light soya sauce for about 15 minutes.

3. Pour in the boiling water and parboil the ribs for 15 minutes. 

Drain away the water and set aside.

4. Cut 1 slice of ginger, 1 stub of white scallion, and 1 stub of coriander root.

5. Turn on the "Steam" function of the rice cooker to heat up the inner pot.

Heat up about 1 tsp of olive oil and add in the ginger, white scallion, and coriander root. 

Stop the "Steam" function when the ingredients become fragrant.

6. Turn on the "Soup" function, and set the "Cooking Time" to 1:00 hour.

Start a 50-minutes-countdown timer at the same time. This is to mark the time to add in the winter melon chunks.

7. Pour in the pork ribs to stir-fry for about 1 minute. 

 Add 1/4 tsp of rice wine.

8. Pour in about 300 to 400g of water to cover about 3/4 of the ingredients' height.

Close the lid and let the rice cooker continues the cooking process. 

Stir the ingredients once in a while to ensure even heating.

10. When the countdown timer reads 0:10, drop in the winter melon chunks.

Bring the pork ribs above the winter melon chunks, so that the latter can be cooked more thoroughly.

Close the lid, and let the cooking continues.

 

11. When the cooking process ends, allow the rice cooker to "Keep Warm" for 5 minutes.

12. When the winter melon becomes translucent, the winter melon is cooked.

Add in the salt and seasoning to taste.

13. Let the ingredients simmer for another 1 hour for a softer texture using the remnant heat of the rice cooker.

Try not to stir the ingredients in order to keep the softened winter melon chunks in whole piece.

The soup is ready.

Enjoy it warm with steamed rice :)

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Winter Melon Tea

1. Bring winter melon skin, pandan leaf, dark brown sugar and water to a boil.

2. Drop in the rock sugar and lower the heat. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

3. The winter melon tea is ready :)