Shark's Fin Melon, Gingko Nut Sweet Dessert

Some of the ingredients - gingko nuts and preserved honey dates

The weather is really humid in Penang these days and coupled with the hazy condition, my nephew requested for sweet desserts/drinks 'tong sui' whenever he comes home from school.  Sometimes, I will get the soybean milk drink from the vendor and cool in the refrigerator.  So for a change, I tried cooking this 'tong sui' for the family.

Shark's Fin Melon - cut big chunks

Ingredients

1 kg shark's fin melon [1 whole melon is about 2 kg - I requested for 1/2 melon] 

150 gm gingko nuts [pan fry for about 20 minutes, cool and remove the shells, wash]

8 preserved honey dates - rinse

50 gm dried longan - rinse

180 gm rock sugar

3 screwpine leaves [pandan leaves] - wash and knotted

3 litres water or more through adding

1. Boil water in pot with screwpine leaves.  Cut off the skin of melon and cut into big chunks. Rinse and add to boiling water together with preserved honey dates on medium high heat for about 1 hour.  Boil until melon is soft. 
2. Use a masher to mash the soft melon pieces to separate the seeds and melon flesh [you will see strains of melon flesh like shark fins].  Discard as much as possible the melon seeds. Add more water if not enough.  Add in dried longan and rock sugar.  Continue to boil for another 20 minutes and sugar is dissolved.  Taste to adjust sweetness. Off fire, serve cold or hot with gingko nuts.
3. While boiling the melon, steam gingko nuts in a bowl with some water in the rice cooker or steamer till soft.  Add some sugar for taste. Set aside to serve with melon dessert in a bowl or mix  all together with shark's fin melon dessert in the pot.

Can see the melon flesh - looks like shark's fins?