Quick Winter Melon Recipe

posted by Holly Ford on Jan 3, 2022 (updated Apr 22, 2023) 2 comments »

5 from 1 rating

Winter melon is a common ingredient in many Asian soups and stews. In this quick recipe, frozen clams are used to create a delicious Korean-flavored side dish or rice bowl.

Mild and mellow winter melon is stir-fried with clams and makes a great to serve as side dish or rice bowl

Growing up in Korea, I remember my mother often carried a very large and heavy green melon home from the local street market. Returning home, she would proclaim that tonight’s dinner would be something with the winter melon. That usually meant a stir-fried winter melon dish with clams, mussels, or sometimes shrimp.

Then one of my sisters would respond like, “eewww!” because she hated anything made with winter melon. I couldn’t understand why she hated because I LOVED it. It has a tender and soft texture and is almost sweet to the taste. And it pairs so well with seafood. I could easily “empty out a bowl of rice” (i.e., eat a whole bowl of rice) with it and a little bit of kimchi on the side.

My mother’s winter melon recipe is mildly flavored and simple to prepare, but so delicious. Although “winter” is in the name of the melon, she actually made this dish during the hot summer.

If you don’t have access to winter melon or fresh/frozen clams, my radish with clams recipe uses canned chopped clams. It is similar in taste and texture to this recipe.

What is Winter Melon?

A chunk of winter melon with seeds is placed on a counter.

Winter melon is a large green fruit that grows on trailing vines. As it matures, the fruit develops a waxy white surface, so some people call it wax gourd or ash gourd due to its ashy appearance. Contrary to its name, winter melon grows during the summer and is harvested in late summer through early fall. This mild-tasting fruit is often compared to cucumber for its refreshing taste. Although winter melon grows as a fruit, it is cooked as a vegetable in Asia, most commonly in Korean, Chinese, and Indian kitchens.

The Korean word for winter melon is “bak (박)”. The dish made with winter melon is often called “bak namul (박나물)”. Try enjoying this winter melon with clams as a rice bowl with a little bit of kimchi as a quick one-dish meal. Or serve it as a side dish to accompany any main course. It is one of my favorite Korean side dish recipes.

Ingredients list and substitutes

Ingredients for Korean winter melon recipe are presented.

Winter melon – can also use Korean radish or the white rind of watermelon
Fresh or frozen clam – if not available, use canned clam or other seafood of your choice
Perilla oil – use sesame oil if not available
Korean tuna sauce – or fish sauce
Salted shrimp – or use dried shrimp
Ginger puree
Green onion

How to make Winter Melon with Clam

Winter melon is peeled with a vegetabel peeler and seeded.

Peeled winter melon is thinly sliced on the cutting board.

Step 1: Remove the melon’s green skin and discard seeds. Slice the melon thinly to bite size pieces.

Whole clam meats are in a colander next to sliced winter melon.

Clam meats are being chopped with a knife on the cutting board.

Step 2: If using frozen clam, thaw and drain. Roughly chop them and set aside.

A spatula is stirring chopped garlic and ginger with oil in a skillet.

Sliced winter melon is cooking with garlic and ginger in a skillet.

Step 3: Heat oil and perilla oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the melon slices and salt, cook until tender stirring occasionally, about 2-3 minutes.

A small spoon of salted shrimp is added to cooked winter melon in a skillet.

Green onion and toasted sesame seeds are added to cooked winter melon in a skillet.

Step 4: Add clams (roughly chopped), Korean tuna sauce, salted shrimp, and toss. Taste and season with more salt according to your taste.

Step 5: Add green onion, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, and heat through. Serve warm or at room temperature with rice as a rice bowl or serve as a side dish to any main course.

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