How To Make Buddha’s Delight (Mixed Vegetables Delight)

This is an interesting vegetable dish that traditionally requires at least 10 types of vegetables. Often, rare and not that easily obtainable vegetables are used, but luckily, it can be made just as good with the more ‘classic’ ones.

Ingredients:

• unsalted stocks: 1.5 cup or 355 mL (Unsalted Heated Chicken or Veg. Stocks)
• kikkoman soy sauce: 3 tbsp or 45 mL
• sugar: 2.5 tbsp or 30 g
• wine: 2 tbsp or 30 mL
• LKK oyster sauce: 2 tbsp or 30 mL
• koon chun hoisin sauce:1 tbsp or 15 mL
• pearl river dark mushroom flavored soy sauce: 1 tbsp or 15 mL
• sesame oil: 1 tsp or 5 ml
• green onions roots: 1 root or 2 tsp (cut)
• ginger: 1-2 tsp (minced)
• garlic: 1-2 tsp (minced)
• white pepper: a sprinkle
• broccoli: 3 oz or 85 g
• carrot: 1 oz or 28 g
• wood ear/tree ear: 1.6 oz or 45 g
• shiitake mushroom: 1.41 oz or 40 g
• firm tofu: 6.5 oz or 185 g
• bamboo shoots: 1 oz or 28 g
• baby corn: 2.18 oz or 62 g
• water chestnuts: 1 oz or 28 g
• snow peas: .7 oz or 20 g
• nappa: 2.3 oz or 65.32 g
• brown sauce: 1 cup or 254 mL
• water: 1 tbsp + 1/2 cup or 125 mL
• potato Starch: 1 tbsp
• sesame oil: 1 tsp

Instructions:

Brown sauce:

Add the ginger, minced garlic, green onion roots, sugar, soy sauce, wine, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and the hot stock.
Let cool and use a sieve to drain. Discard the roots.

Mixed vegetables delight:

Soak shiitake mushrooms in 1/2 cup (118 ml) cold water for about an hour.
Soak wood ear/tree ear fungus in 1/2 cup (118 ml) cold water for about 30 minutes.
Remove excess moisture from the tofu with a paper towel.
Use a plate and chopsticks to hold the tofu and place a plate or bowl on top of the tofu for 10-15 minutes.
Cut off the leaf from the stalk of nappa and cut the stalk into 1 inch pieces.
Thinly slice carrot and chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces.
Squeeze out the excess water from the wood ear and cut into thin strips. Remove stem if it is there.
Squeeze out the excess water from shiitake mushrooms and cut off the long stem.
Cut them into 1/2 inch slices.
Strain the mushroom liquid through a mesh strainer.
Remove the firm tofu from the paper towels.
Cut into half by length and cut into blocks of about 1 inch.
Heat the oil to 350F and carefully lower the tofu in it.
Fry for about 3 minutes or until golden from all sides.
Mix the potato starch with water.
Lightly blanch the broccoli for 45 seconds in the boiling water.
Add 2 tbsp of oil into a pan or wok and heat on medium-high.
Add nappa and the carrots and stir for 10-15 seconds.
Add the baby corn, water chestnuts, and the broccoli.
Stir for 30 seconds.
Add the rest of the vegetables and stir for 30-45 seconds.
Add the mushroom liquid.
Stir until liquid evaporates.
Add the tofu and fry for 15-20 seconds.
Add the brown sauce and bring to a boil.
Add the potato starch thickener and stir for another 15-20 seconds, until vegetables are well coated with the sauce.
Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.
Serve immediately.

Tips and ideas:

You can use the cut off stems from the mushrooms for a stock or soup.

Images – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO4uhLxswaQ