Basic Buddhist Vegetable Dish Recipes

BUDDHA'S DELIGHT (VEGETARIAN LO HAN JAI)

Steps:

• Heat your wok over medium-high heat, and add the oil and ginger. Let the ginger caramelize for about 30 seconds without letting it burn. Add the red fermented bean curd and break it up with your spatula. Add the garlic, the white portions of the leeks (reserve to green portion for later), mushrooms, wood ears, and lily flowers. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add the Shaoxing wine and stir fry for another minute.
• Next, add the napa cabbage, fried tofu, and bean threads, and crank up the heat as high as it will go. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the remaining green portion of the leeks, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar and water or vegetable stock. Stir everything together, cover the wok, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Uncover the wok and turn the heat back up to high. Add the mung bean noodles, which should soak up most of the liquid. Keep stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a large bowl and serve with steamed rice!

BUDDHIST VEGETABLE NOODLES

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a preheated wok and stir-fry onion until translucent. Toss in garlic, ginger, and mushrooms and stir-fry for another minute. Add oyster sauce and 2 tablespoons soy sauce and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove wok contents to a bowl and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in the hot wok and stir-fry cabbage, bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and carrot for 3 minutes. Toss in bean sprouts, sugar, ¼ cup reserved mushroom water, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add onion and mushroom mixture, rice wine, and sesame oil and stir to combine well.
• Cook noodles in plenty of water at a rolling boil for about a minute. Drain thoroughly, rinse under cold running water, and drain again. Toss noodles with remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and remaining 1 teaspoon peanut oil.
• To serve, place noodles on a large warmed serving platter, spoon vegetable mixture on top, and mix lightly. Garnish with green onions sprinkled over the top.

BASIC BUDDHIST VEGETABLE DISH

Steps:

• 1. Select 9 to 12 of the ingredients listed below, choosing some from each category: dried, fresh and miscellaneous. (Although less typical, as few as 4 or 5 ingredients may be used.) Prepare each ingredient, as indicated below. 2. Combine water, soy sauce, sherry and salt. 3. Heat oil. Add selected ingredients, and stir-fry 3 to 5 minutes. (This will take a large pan. If one is not available, cook 3 or 4 ingredients at a time, then assemble them in step 5 and reheat before adding cornstarch paste.) 4. Add water-soy mixture and heat quickly then simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes). 5. Blend cornstarch and sugar to a paste with remaining cold water, soy sauce and salt then stir in to thicken. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with sesame oil stir in and serve. NOTE: This vegetarian dish is known as the Feast of Arahats or Food for the Saints the Chinese name is Lo (or Loo) Hon Ji, or Lohan Tsai. It will keep about a week and can be reheated several times without loss of flavor. VARIATION: * In step 4, stir 2 tablespoons Chinese red cheese, mashed, into the water-soy mixture then heat quickly. DRIED INGREDIENTS FOR BUDDHIST VEGETABLE DISH:1/8 pound rice or peastarch noodles (soaked), cut in 3-inch lengths 1/2 cup lily buds (soaked) 1/2 cup dried black mushrooms (soaked), cut in half 2 tablespoons cloud ear mushrooms (soaked) 1/2 cup hair seaweed (soaked) 1/2 cup dried bamboo shoots (soaked), cut in 2-inch lengths 1/4 cup dried chestnuts (Parboiled) 3 sticks dried bean curd, broken in 2-inch lengths and soaked or 1 or 2 sheets dried bean curd (soaked), cut in squares or rectangles 2 pieces dried lotus root (soaked) FRESH INGREDIENTS FOR BUDDHIST VEGETABLE DISH:1/2 cup celery, shredded 1/2 cup green pepper, shredded 1/2 cup mushrooms, shredded 1/2 cup mustard cabbage, shredded 1/2 cup onion, shredded 1/2 cup bean sprouts, blanched 1/2 cup cauliflower, broken in small flowerets 1/2 cup Chinese cabbage, cut in 2-inch sections 1/2 cup snow peas, stemmed 1 cup winter melon, diced 1 cup zucchini, cut in 2-inch slices MISCELLANEOUS INGREDIENTS FOR BUDDHIST VEGETABLE DISH:1 cup canned bamboo shoots, shredded 1/2 cup ginkgo nuts or lotus seeds, shelled and blanched 1/2 cup raw peanuts 5 cakes bean curd, deep-fried 1/2 cup vegetable steak The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.