Japanese: Tougan to Gyuniku no nimono. Tougan (winter melon) gets soft when you boil it, and it’s good either hot or cold. Winter melon has a healthy supply of vitamin C, and is good for your skin and immune system.

Yield: 2 people
Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1/3lb beef (for stew, cut 1-2″ cubes)
1/4 winter melon (1 lb, remove seeds, skin. then cut into 1-2″ pieces )

Spices for beef

1 tbsp sake
1/2 tbsp soy sauce

dash salt

Spices for soup

2 cups dashi soup (or 2 cup water and 1/2 tbsp hon-dashi (soup stock powder)) 2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

Preparation

Mix beef and spices for beef (sake, soy sauce and salt) in a bowl
Mix spices for soup in a bowl (dashi soup, sake, soy sauce, sugar and mirin)
Heat oil in a sauce pan and stir beef for three minutes then add winter melon, stir then add mixed spices for soup.
Skim the soup, then boil it for 15 minutes over medium heat then turn it to low and simmer another 15 minutes.

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