Stir fry of Loofah / Luffa and Eggs! Healthy and flavorful. The whole dish comes together in 15 minutes and with 3 ingredients. This is great for a simple meal or side dish.
Tis the season for loofah / luffah!
A family friend grows loofah and she's been sharing a great harvest. We use loofah in soups in addition to a simple and saucy stir fry. And today, with eggs ^_^
This recipe is a combination between this loofah stir fry and okra and egg scramble. We use the same technique from the scramble but replace the okra with loofah and season with fish sauce.
What Is Loofah / Luffa?
Loofah is a popular Chinese vegetable (it's technically a fruit, but everyone calls it a vegetable). It's green on the outside and white on the side. Loofah looks like a giant cucumber and when cooked, it's very spongy and tender.
There are two main types of loofah:
- The plump ones with smooth skin (smooth loofah).
- The more narrow ones with deep ridges (ridged loofah).
We use smooth loofah for this recipe. It's easier to cook with and is more common in Hawaii.
Loofah goes by many different names. Some of the more popular ones:
- Loofah
- Luffa
- Sponge Gourd
- Chinese Okra
- See Gua (that's what we call it in Cantonese)
- Silk Melon
Do you need to peel the loofah skin? It depends on the age of the loofah. You don't need to peel the skin if the loofah if very young. If it's on the more mature side, then it's a good idea to peel the skin.
If you let loofah fully mature on the vine, it's no longer edible. Why? Because it become too fibrous. A fully mature loofah can be used to make natural loofah sponges. Yes, like the loofah sponges you use in the bath!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Loofah / luffa
- Eggs
- Fish sauce (nuoc mam) - We usually use Three Crabs or Red Boat. Both are great and work well for this recipe.
Instructions
Let's get cooking:
First prepare the loofah / luffa. Wash and dry. Peel the skin (if needed). Then slice at an angle into ½-inch wide pieces.
In a small bowl, beat the two eggs and add a pinch of salt. Set aside.
In a large pan over medium-high heat, add a little oil followed by the sliced loofah.
Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the loofah softens.
Season with the fish sauce (nuoc mam). Add 1 teaspoon first and then taste. If you want more, then add the second teaspoon.
Push the loofah to one side of the pan. Pour in the eggs and turn the heat to medium.
Scramble the eggs until they are just set (try to keep the eggs from mixing into the loofah).
Once the eggs are set, gently fold/mix the eggs and loofah. Then it's ready to eat! Great with a bowl of rice.
Top Tip
It's important to keep the eggs separate from the loofah (as much as you reasonably can). If you just pour the eggs on top, the eggs end up coating the loofah and you get a very different dish.
When the eggs are cooked separate, you get a nice soft scramble that also soaks up some of the juices from the seasoned loofah. It's a small extra step that doesn't require additional clean up, but is key to the final dish.
FAQ
Leftovers keep the refrigerator 1-2 days. Reheat in the microwave in 15 second increments. You can also reheat on the stove - add a little oil to a pan and reheat on medium heat for a few minutes.
There are so many! Try these:
- To make it spicy, top the dish with chopped Thai or Hawaiian chili peppers.
- For a different type of heat, season the eggs with white pepper.
- Use soy sauce and sesame oil instead of fish sauce (nuoc mam). Follow this recipe, but replace the okra with loofah.
- Mince garlic and ginger. Saute both for a minute before adding the loofah to the pan.
For an even easier way to cook loofah, try this loofah stir fry. For other egg + vegetable combo ideas, consider making okra and eggs or tomato and eggs. I'm also a big fan of scallion eggs for an easy dinner!
Loofah / Luffa and Eggs Recipe
Loofah / Luffa and Eggs
Ingredients
- 1 large loofah / luffa
- 2 eggs
- 1-2 teaspoons fish sauce (nuoc mam)
Instructions
- First prepare the loofah / luffa. Wash and dry. Peel the skin (if needed). Then slice at an angle into ½-inch wide pieces.
- In a small bowl, beat the two eggs and add a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, add a little oil followed by the sliced loofah. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the loofah softens.
- Season with the fish sauce (nuoc mam). Add 1 teaspoon first and then taste. If you want more, then add the second teaspoon.
- Push the loofah to one side of the pan. Pour in the eggs and turn the heat to medium. Scramble the eggs until they are just set (try to keep the eggs from mixing into the loofah).
- Once the eggs are set, gently fold/mix the eggs and loofah.
- Then it's ready to eat! Great with a bowl of rice.
Mahalo for Reading!