Last Updated on June 2, 2021 by Simon Fan
When picked young, loofah (or luffa) is a popular gourd used in Chinese and Asian cuisines. Beloved for its white and soft flesh, loofah is fantastic when stir-fried, steamed, or added to soups.
You can find out more information about loofah and a stir-fried loofah recipe from this post.
Here, I want to share with you a loofah dish cooked through steaming. Peeled loofah is cut into rounds, top with diced shrimp, steamed for a few minutes, and then drizzled with garlic oil on top—a simple yet elegant dish perfect for any occasion.
I’m using angled loofah (which is more easily available at Asian markets in the US), but you can use the smooth variety too. For most recipes, you need to peel the loofah with a swivel peeler to remove the ridges (if using angled loofah) and the dark green peel, but try to keep the pale green layer underneath, which adds both flavor and texture to the dishes. For this recipe, I recommend leaving bits of the dark green peel on as well, to make the dish visually and texturally more intriguing.
Steamed loofah with shrimp
Serves 2
Ingredients
4 oz (115 g) shelled shrimp, cut into ½ inch (1.3 cm) dice
½-inch (1.3 cm) piece of ginger, peeled and grated
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 angled loofah (or smooth loofah), about 11 oz (310 g)
½ teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Directions
- Put the shrimp in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of the grated ginger into the shrimp and discard the solids. Add the salt and pepper and mix well.
- Use a swivel peeler to remove the ridges and the dark green peel of the loofah (for this dish, I like to leave bits of the dark green peel on). Trim the ends and cut crosswise into ½-inch (1.3 cm) rounds. Blanch them in salted boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain well.
- Mix the wine into the shrimp. Place the loofah rounds, cut side up, on a heatproof plate that fits into your steamer (or 2 plates if using a 2-tier steamer). Top each round with a portion of the shrimp. Steam over high heat until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer them, as well as the juices collected in the plate(s), to a serving plate.
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan until shimmering, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the garlic. Drizzle the garlic-oil mixture on top of the shrimp and serve right away.
