Vegetarian Minced Noodles

Vegetarian Minced Noodles

　　Ingredients:

　　25 kg high-gluten flour, 1 kg peanut oil, 500 g sesame oil, 750 g daylily buds, 250 g wood ear mushrooms, 1.5 kg vermicelli, 2.5 kg fried tofu, 25 pieces of plain tofu, 2.5 kg soy sauce, a small amount of Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, MSG, scallions, ginger, salt, etc.

　　Preparation Method:

　　1. Soak the daylily buds, wood ear mushrooms, and vermicelli in boiling water, rinse, and cut them. Cut the daylily buds and wood ear mushrooms into 3 cm-long pieces. Cut the vermicelli into 15 cm-long strands. Steam the plain tofu until cooked, let it cool, and dice it into 1 cm cubes. Take another 25 pieces of plain tofu, dice them into small cubes, and deep-fry them in oil until golden brown. Remove and drain the oil to make fried tofu for the minced filling.

　　2. Clean and dry a large wok, heat it, and add 1 kg of peanut oil. Once the oil is hot, add Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, scallions, and ginger. Then pour in the soy sauce and bring it to a boil. Add about 35 liters of cold water. Next, put the daylily buds, wood ear mushrooms, vermicelli, plain tofu, and fried tofu into the wok. Season with MSG and salt to taste — the saltiness should be just right. Once the mixture comes to a boil, transfer it to a large bucket. This becomes the minced filling used for topping the noodles. You can also add sesame oil as needed. Additionally, blanch some spinach or Chinese cabbage and mix it into the filling as a vegetable garnish.

　　3. The noodles can be made either by machine or hand-rolled. The thickness is flexible, but medium-width noodles are generally used. Cook the noodles, drain them, and place them in a bowl. Pour the prepared minced filling on top to make vegetarian minced noodles.

　　4. According to traditional methods, you can also cut the daylily buds, wood ear mushrooms, steamed plain tofu, and fried tofu into diamond-shaped slices, and prepare egg crepes that are sliced into duck-tongue shapes to make the filling. A thin layer of starch slurry can be added to the filling wok, and sesame oil can be poured over it when serving in the bowl.