Hairy Gourd with Dried Octopus Soup

Ingredients
600g hairy gourd (peeled, cut into pieces)
300g pig's spinal bone
30g perserved turnips (rinsed)
20g Chinese almond flakes
80g dried octopus
6 cored red dates
3000ml water

Seasoning
salt/light soy sauce (to your taste)

Method
1. Soak the dried octopus into water for 1 hr until soften. Remove and rinse. Keep aside.
2. Rinse the pig's spinal bone pieces, blanch into boiling water. Remove, rinse under running cool water, drain well.
3. Cook water into a deep pot, add in pig's spinal bone pieces, perserved turnips, red dates and Chinese almond flakes. Bring back to the boil, reduce to a low heat and cook for approximately 1 hr.
4. Add in hairy gourd pieces, continue cook for further 1 hr. Lastly, blend in seasoning, mix well. Serve at once.