Tom chuet fak moo sap

Method

1. 1 Peel the winter melon, cut it into 3 cm cubes, and remove the seeds and pulp.
2. 2 Mix the minced meat with garlic, crushed herbs, and white pepper, then roll into small balls.
3. 3 Bring the chicken broth to a simmer, not a rolling boil.
4. 4 The water should only simmer gently throughout the process; if it boils vigorously, the broth will become cloudy and the meatballs will fall apart.
5. 5 Add the meatballs and cook for 8 minutes, skimming off any foam continuously.
6. 6 Add the winter melon and cook for 12 minutes until the mixture thickens, then season with fish sauce and sprinkle with chopped scallions.

With an appliance

• Microwave 29 min

  Replace steps 5–6: rotate the meatballs in the broth at 800 W for 6 minutes, skim off the foam once, then add the zucchini and continue rotating for another 8 minutes; reduce the cooking time to about 6 minutes, the broth will not boil vigorously so the meatballs will not fall apart easily, the zucchini will be evenly cooked, and only one skimming of foam is needed. Step 2 still involves rolling the meatballs into small, uniformly sized balls for even cooking.