The original recipe for this well-known dish used no fewer than eighteen different ingredients to represent the eighteen Buddhas. Nowadays, anything between six to eight ingredients is usual practice for this cuisine.
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 25 g (1 oz) tiger lily buds (golden needles)
- 6-8 dried Chinese mushrooms
- 10 g (1 cup) dried black fungus (wood ears)
- 150 g (5½ oz) ready-made braised gluten, drained
- 50 g (1¾ oz) tofu puffs (deep-fried cubes of tofu)
- 100 g (3 oz/1 cup) bean sprouts
- 1 carrot
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 60 g (2 oz/½ cup) snowpeas (mangetout), ends trimmed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 4 tablespoons vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
Method:
Soak the tiger lily buds in boiling water for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain the tiger lily buds, and trim off any roots if they are hard.
Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes, then drain and squeeze out any excess water. Remove and discard the stems and cut the caps in half (or quarters if large).
Soak the dried black fungus in cold water for 20 minutes, then drain and squeeze out any excess water. Cut any large pieces of fungus in half.
Cut the gluten and tofu into small pieces. Wash the bean sprouts, discarding any husks and straggly end pieces, and dry thoroughly. Diagonally cut the carrot into thin slices.
Heat a wok over high heat, add the oil and heat until very hot. Stir-fry the carrot for 30 seconds, then add the snowpeas and bean sprouts. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the gluten, tofu, lily buds, mushrooms, black fungus, salt, sugar, stock and soy sauce. Toss everything together, then cover and braise for 2 minutes at a gentle simmer.
Add the sesame oil, toss it through the mixture and serve hot or cold.
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