China Lo Hon Jai (Buddha’s Delight)
On Chinese New Year’s Day, many Chinese families honor the Buddhist tradition of purifying body and palate with vegetables in harmony with nature’s bounty. Meat and seafood are not served on the first day of the New Year, a peaceful symbolic offering that seeks to avoid the shedding of blood while welcoming a prosperous year filled with joyful, natural abundance. Some recipes for lo hon jai include exotic ingredients such as dried lily flowers, lotus seeds and roots, and gingko nuts.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
7 minutes
Total Time
17 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) peanut or vegetable oil
- 4 slices ginger, shredded
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ cup (55 g) sliced shiitake mushrooms
- ½ cup (65 g) sliced bamboo shoots
- ¼ cup (30 g) dried wood ear or cloud ear mushrooms, pre-soaked in warm water (becomes 1 cup)
- 2 cups (450 g) sliced green or napa cabbage
- 1 cup (100 g) fresh bean sprouts
- ½ cup (124 g) tofu pups, halved
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) soy or tamari sauce
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- Cooked rice or noodles, as needed for serving
Directions
- Pour peanut or vegetable oil into a wok or skillet set over medium-high heat.
- Add ginger and garlic to the hot oil, sautéing until lightly golden-brown.
- Add shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, wood ear or cloud ear mushrooms, and cabbage, mixing well.
- Cover pan and cook over medium heat for 4–5 minutes.
- Stir in bean sprouts, tofu pups, soy or tamari sauce, and salt, cooking for about 1 minute.
- Garnish with a splash of toasted sesame oil.
- Serve hot with cooked rice or noodles.
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