Eighteen Kinds of Stuffed Dishes in Pingle

Eighteen Kinds of Stuffed Dishes in Pingle

　　The so-called “Eighteen Stuffed Dishes” refer to eighteen different types of stuffed dishes. A local nursery rhyme goes: “Tall Arhat made a bamboo shoot stuffed dish, short Arhat made a snail stuffed dish. Plump Arhat made a winter melon stuffed dish, thin Arhat made a pomelo peel stuffed dish. Crying Arhat made a chili stuffed dish, laughing Arhat made a tofu stuffed dish. Beautiful Arhat made an eggplant stuffed dish, ugly Arhat made a bitter gourd stuffed dish. Long-eyebrowed Arhat made a gourd stuffed dish, bearded Arhat made a bean sprout stuffed dish. Dragon-subduing Arhat made a radish stuffed dish, Tiger-taming Arhat made a taro stuffed dish. Big-mouthed Arhat made a pumpkin flower stuffed dish, aquiline-nosed Arhat made an egg roll stuffed dish. Giant-handed Arhat made a garlic stuffed dish, three-eyed Arhat made a mushroom stuffed dish. Deaf Heaven Arhat made an oil tofu stuffed dish, Mute Earth Arhat made a vegetable wrap stuffed dish.”

　　Preparation Methods:

　　Bamboo Shoot Stuffed Dish: Boil fresh bamboo shoots in boiling water until softened. Use a small knife to make 6 to 8 long cuts (about five to six centimeters each) on the bamboo shoots. Cook glutinous rice in a pot until done, then mix it with minced lean meat. Season with salt and MSG, and add mint (or chopped scallions if no mint is available) and crushed fried peanuts as the stuffing (this stuffing also works for chili stuffed dish and vegetable wrap stuffed dish). Shape the mixture into small balls and stuff them into the cuts in the bamboo shoots. After stuffing, pan-fry the bamboo shoots over low heat in oil, then add a little water and simmer for about five minutes. This dish is visually appealing and delicious, with the sweetness of bamboo shoots, the mellow aroma of glutinous rice, the fragrance of mint, and the crispiness of peanuts.

　　Snail Stuffed Dish: Clean the field snails and boil them in water until cooked, then remove the snail meat. Mince the snail meat together with pork and mint, season well, and use this as the stuffing. Stuff the mixture into the cleaned snail shells. Stir-fry spicy red chilies and sour bamboo shoots in oil, then add the snail stuffed dish and stir-fry for one to two minutes. Add water and simmer slowly for about 15 minutes before serving.

　　Chiehqua Stuffed Dish: Wash the chiehqua, cut it in half lengthwise, and slice it into pieces about one to two centimeters thick. Make a cut in each piece, sprinkle with salt, and soak the chiehqua to soften it. The stuffing is usually made with minced lean meat, and scallions can be added while mincing. After stuffing, steam the dish for about 10 minutes.

　　Pomelo Peel Stuffed Dish: Slice open the green skin of the pomelo; the remaining white part is the pomelo peel. Cut the peel into triangular shapes, make a cut on one side, boil it in water until softened, then squeeze out the water. The stuffing for pomelo peel stuffed dish is similar to that of chiehqua stuffed dish. If desired, a small amount of wood ear fungus or shiitake mushroom can be added to the minced meat. Stuff the filling into the cuts of the pomelo peel. Boil it in meat broth, or it can also be used in hot pot.

　　Chili Stuffed Dish: Wash the chilies and carefully remove the stems using a small knife. Soak them in saltwater to soften. The stuffing is the same as that for bamboo shoot stuffed dish. Stuff the chili peppers with the filling, then simmer them in oil for about 10 minutes.

　　Tofu Stuffed Dish: Cut water tofu into four pieces with two cross-shaped cuts. Then divide each piece into two, and make a cut in the middle of each. Stuff with filling similar to that of chiehqua or pomelo peel stuffed dish. Pan-fry until golden brown, then add an appropriate amount of starch or chopped tomatoes, and a little water, and simmer for a few minutes.

　　Eggplant Stuffed Dish: The cutting method for eggplant is the same as for chiehqua. Cut the eggplant diagonally into two-centimeter sections, make a cut in the middle, soak in saltwater to soften, and wash. The stuffing is the same as for chiehqua stuffed dish, and the preparation method is also the same. After stuffing, coat with flour or egg white and fry in oil, or pan-fry.

　　Bean Sprout Stuffed Dish: This is the most time-consuming and labor-intensive dish among the eighteen. Gently boil fresh bean sprouts in water until softened, then remove them. Arrange about 20 bean sprouts neatly, tie both ends with a stalk of Chinese chive, and stuff the minced meat filling into the gaps between the sprouts. After stuffing, boil the dish in meat broth.

　　Pumpkin Flower Stuffed Dish: Remove and clean the stamens from fresh pumpkin flowers (try not to damage the petals). Mince lean meat or fish, tofu, and scallions, season well, and stuff the mixture into the pumpkin flowers. After stuffing, seal the opening with the flower petals. Steam for 15 minutes, or boil in meat broth.

　　Egg Roll Stuffed Dish: Beat eggs and season. Mince lean meat, water chestnuts, and scallions to make the stuffing. Pour a ladle of egg mixture onto a hot oiled pan, add the stuffing, and roll it up. Cook over medium heat until both sides are golden brown. Place all the finished egg rolls back into the pan, add water, and simmer for four to five minutes.

　　Garlic Stuffed Dish: The garlic is treated the same way as the bamboo shoots. Cut the white part of the garlic into 10-centimeter-long pieces, make several small evenly spaced cuts with a needle, and boil in water until softened. Stuff with filling similar to that of chiehqua, and pan-fry, simmer, or serve in hot pot.

　　Mushroom Stuffed Dish: Remove the mushroom stems, and clean the remaining “caps.” Mince lean meat for the stuffing and stuff it into the mushrooms. After stuffing, they can be steamed or simmered.

　　Oil Tofu Stuffed Dish: Shred fresh lotus root and taro, mix with minced lean meat and scallions to make the stuffing, and season well. Tear open the oil tofu and stuff the mixture inside. After stuffing, it can be steamed, boiled, or pan-fried.

　　Vegetable Wrap Stuffed Dish: The stuffing is made the same way as for bamboo shoot stuffed dish, and some dried shrimp can also be added. The vegetable leaves are typically lettuce or pigweed. Take two cleaned leaves, fold them together, wrap the stuffing inside, and roll it up. After stuffing, boil in soup and serve.

　　In addition, there are bitter gourd stuffed dish, gourd stuffed dish, radish stuffed dish, taro stuffed dish, etc. Their preparation methods are largely similar to that of chiehqua stuffed dish.