VEGETARIAN (LO HAN ZHAI) CASSEROLE

Serves 4–6.

Preparation & cooking time: 30–35 mins.

Also known as ‘Buddha’s Delight’, the original recipe uses no less than eighteen different items to represent the eighteen Buddhas (Lo Han being the Chinese name for Buddha). But nowadays the use of anything between six to eight items is the usual practice.

5g (⅛oz) dried black fungus (wood ears), see Glossary

300ml (½ pint) seasoned oil

1 cake bean-curd, cut into 16 small pieces

115g (4oz) Chinese leaves, cut into small pieces

1 small carrot, cut diagonally into thin slices

50g (2oz) mange-tout, topped and tailed

85g (3oz) fresh bean sprouts, washed and drained

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon soft brown sugar

85g (3oz) sliced bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained

85g (3oz) straw mushrooms, drained

1 tablespoon light soy sauce or oyster sauce

about 2–3 tablespoons stock

pinch of MSG (optional)

a few drops of sesame oil

Soak the black fungus in water for 10–20 minutes, rinse and drain well, discarding any hard bits.

Heat the oil in a preheated wok until hot, deep-fry the bean-curd pieces for about 2 minutes, remove and drain. Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 3 tablespoons in the wok, stir-fry the Chinese leaves for about 1 minute, thenadd the carrot, mange-tout and bean sprouts with the salt and sugar, stir-fry for another minute or so, then transfer the whole lot into a casserole. Add the black fungus, bamboo shoots, straw mushrooms, soy sauce or oyster sauce and stock, blend well and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and braise under cover for 5 minutes.

Uncover and add MSG (if using) and sesame oil, stir for a few times more and serve.

hancheng

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