Buddha’s Delight

Name: Buddha’s Delight
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 handful (about ½ cup, or 20 g) dried lily flowers; 8 medium dried shiitake mushrooms; 2 tablespoons dried wood ear mushrooms; 4½ to 6 cups (1 to 1.4 L) hot water; 1 small bundle (1½ ounces, or 45 g) dried rice vermicelli noodles; 2 tablespoons light soy sauce; 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce; 1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil); 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil); 1 tablespoon minced ginger; 4 scallions, chopped; 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced; ½ cup (75 g) sliced bamboo shoots, strained; 2 cups (100 g) deep-fried tofu puffs (or Oil-Free Deep-Fried Tofu), cut in half; 2 cups (100 g) deep-fried tofu puffs (or Oil-Free Deep-Fried Tofu), cut in half; 4 cups (280 g) chopped Napa cabbage; 4 small heads baby bok choy, cut in quarters

Preparation info

Yield
4
servings

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
55 min

Appears in

Chinese Homestyle

By Maggie Zhu

Published 2022

About

Buddha’s Delight is a classic Chinese vegetarian stew that is often served during holidays and festivals. Because of its flexibility, it is also a homestyle dish that home cooks make on a weeknight using whatever they have on hand. This recipe is more of a holiday version, as it uses many types of vegetables.

Ingredients

1 handful (about ½ cup, or 20 g) dried lily flowers
8

Asia
China
Vegan

Method

In separate medium bowls, soak the dried lily flowers, shiitake mushrooms, and wood ear mushrooms in 1½ to 2 cups (360 to 480 ml) of the hot water for 20 minutes, or until tender throughout.
Strain the lily flowers, reserving ¾ cup (180 ml) of the soaking water. Trim and discard the tough ends, then cut each flower in half crosswise. Squeeze the excess water fr