Stir Fried Ridged Gourd with Eggs 胜瓜炒蛋

Apart from the Tofu with Ridged Gourd 胜瓜豆腐, this is another way of how I like the ridged gourd served. With just the ridged gourd and the eggs as the key ingredients, this is a dish meant to be light and easy, sumptuous and simply delicious. To have a good serving size of this, make sure that you have a good amount of ridged gourds to begin with - a medium sized ridged gourd for an individual serving will be good. 

Be sure to have them cut into chunks of some relatively larger pieces. With a good absorbing nature, they will shrink considerably with cooking. So having large chunks to begin with makes sure that the soft yet spongy texture these ridged gourds have will not be lost. I have always preferred to have them separately managed; the ridged gourds are lightly stir fried with some minced garlic and eggs scrambled next before they are both brought together for a quick mix-up. This makes a simple dish with a promising taste good for everyday meals. Do give this a try!

Stir Fried Ridged Gourd with Eggs 胜瓜炒蛋  
Serves 2-3
2 medium-sized ridged gourds
*6 large eggs, beaten with 2 to 3 dashes of white pepper powder and 2 tsps light soy sauce 
3 cloves garlic, minced
a pinch or two of salt
a sprinkle or two of water 
1 tbsp cooking oil

*Egg yolks to be adjusted according to personal health preference. I had retained just two yolks for this, discarding the rest (and hence the rather white appearance the scrambled eggs took).
 
1. Remove the skin of the ridged gourds using a peeler or a knife, exposing the white flesh within. Cut them into huge chunks. Try the roll cutting technique; make a first diagonal cut about 2" from the end. Rotating the gourd slightly, make the next diagonal cut at the next 2" point. Keep rolling and cutting until you reach the other end. This method gives you pieces of these gourds with a good surface area. Plus I think they simply just look better and funkier than the usual cubes lol. Set them aside.
2. Heat half of the cooking oil in a skillet. Add in the minced garlic and stir fry until fragrant. Toss in the ridged gourds followed by a good pinch or two of salt. Stir the gourds to make sure that they get an even heat distribution. At this point, things will look rather dry but do refrain from adding in water. These gourds will naturally soften with time, releasing its water content within. Lightly sprinkle in some water, cover and let cook for about a minute. Give them a good toss and turn after that. If you prefer them softer than they already are, let it simmer for another 30 seconds or so. Dish out and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, add in the remaining oil. Pour in the beaten egg and leave undisturbed for a few seconds to let it set slightly. Stir and continue folding and breaking regularly after that until they are almost set on the whole.
4. Bring the ridged gourds back into the skillet and give a good stir to mix them up well. 
5. Remove from heat and serve hot.