Wuzhou Luohan Vegetarian Dish

Wuzhou Luohan Vegetarian Dish

　　[Ingredients]

Made by stir-frying, boiling, simmering, or stewing seasonal vegetables, three mushrooms (shiitake, button mushroom, straw mushroom), six fungi (white fungus, wood ear, elm ear, osmanthus ear, stone ear), tofu products, wheat gluten, melons, and fruits.

[Cooking Process]

1. Slice 75g of soaked shiitake mushrooms and 50g of soaked button mushrooms diagonally. Break 100g of wheat gluten into chunks. Cut 100g of dried beancurd sticks into 5cm-long pieces. Dice 150g of cauliflower into walnut-sized pieces. Slice 50g of bamboo shoots. Trim both ends of 50g of lotus seeds and remove the cores using a bamboo skewer. Shape 50g of date paste into 1cm-diameter balls.

2. Briefly blanch 50g of hair moss in boiling water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. In a pot, add 200g of vegetarian broth, blanch the hair moss briefly, then remove and let cool on a plate. Wrap the hair moss around the date paste balls and arrange them in a bowl. Pour in vegetarian broth and set aside. Heat a pan over medium heat, add peanut oil until warm, then lightly fry 100g of chestnuts. Remove and place in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 20g of sugar and a pinch of salt, mix well, and steam in a steamer for 20 minutes. Remove. Reheat the oil until 70% hot, deep-fry the wheat gluten chunks until dark golden, then remove and place in a plate. Add 20g of vegetarian broth, simmer over low heat until the gluten softens and the liquid is nearly gone. In another pot, boil 100g of dried beancurd sticks in water for 15 minutes, then remove and squeeze out excess water for later use.

3. Briefly blanch the shiitake slices, bamboo shoot slices, and cauliflower (lightly cook the cauliflower) in water, then drain. Heat a wok, add sesame oil and minced ginger, stir until fragrant. Pour in 750g of vegetarian broth, add the shiitake slices, bamboo shoot slices, wheat gluten chunks, sliced large mushrooms, diced cauliflower, lotus seeds, and broth. Bring to a boil, then season with soy sauce, salt, MSG, pepper, and sugar. Simmer over low heat. Lightly steam the date balls, then invert them in the center of a serving plate (without removing the bowl). Evenly sprinkle the steamed chestnuts around the bowl. Thicken the cooked vegetables with a cornstarch slurry, then evenly distribute them around the bowl (leave a bit of sauce in the pot). Finally, remove the bowl with the date balls, pour the remaining sauce over the top, and serve.