Chinese New Year Reunion - Braised Mushrooms with Mixed Vegetables and Beans Gluten 东菇豆荕

These few days has been hectic! I apologize for the lack of attention to this blog. Initially, I planned to slot in a few recipes for Chinese New Year reunion dinner. However, it seems that the time is not on my side. Luckily, I am able to slot in at least one recipe before this reunion dinner. I promise I will do better next year.

Reunion dinner is normally associated with gluttony, well at least in my vocabulary. This year alone my mom has plans for braised duck, big prawns, spare ribs and fried dumplings. But no mention of vegetables. The emphasis is on meat. I couldn't fault her as in the olden days, you can only get these kind of feast during Chinese New Year reunion dinner. Nowadays, people are more well to do and these kind of food is, how shall I put it,  almost mundane. Therefore,  I am concentrating on my veggies instead.

This dish is entirely vegetarian. Since I am not a vegetarian related to religion, I used the usual garlic and oyster sauce. Otherwise, you have to omit the garlic and replace the oyster sauce with vegetarian oyster sauce. Happy cooking!

Chinese New Year Reunion -  Braised Mushrooms with Mixed Vegetables 

Ingredients

250 g beans gluten 豆荕, blanched in hot water
20 mushrooms, soaked and washed
20 button mushrooms
1/2 carrot, sliced
1 packet of snow peas, tips removed, washed and blanched
a few slices ginger
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup of oil
broccoli for garnishing, blanched with salt water
Seasoning
2 tbsp soya sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce (use vegetarian oyster sauce for vegetarian)
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bowl mushroom water (water from soaking mushroom)
1 tsp cornstarch, added with 1 tbsp water

Cooking Instruction

1. Arrange broccoli around a round plate.

2. Heat up oil. Add in ginger and garlic. Fry until fragrant.

3. Add in carrot and both mushrooms and toss. Then add in mushroom water and braise until mushroom soften. Add beans gluten and seasoning. Once vegetables are tender, add in snow peas and cornstarch mixture.

4. Remove and serve with blanched broccoli.