Kitchen Recipe Collection
Buddha's Delight (Luohan Zhai)
A traditional vegetarian dish traditionally enjoyed by Buddhist monks. A complex, savory stew of tofu, glass noodles, mushrooms, and exotic vegetables braised in a light soy sauce.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated
- 1/4 cup wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated
- 1/4 cup lily flowers, rehydrated and knotted
- 1/2 cup dried bean curd sticks (yuba), rehydrated and cut
- 1 block fried tofu, cubed
- 1 cup Napa cabbage, chopped
- 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, sliced
- 1/2 cup snow peas
- 1 bundle glass noodles, soaked
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce (mushroom sauce)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
Equipment
- Large wok or Dutch oven
Instructions
- 1
Rehydrate Ingredients
Soak the shiitake, wood ear, lily flowers, and bean curd sticks in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Keep the mushroom soaking water.
- 2
Knot Lily Flowers
Tie a small knot in the center of each golden lily flower. This prevents them from falling apart during braising.
- 3
Heat Wok
Heat oil in a wok. Add the minced ginger and sauté for 30 seconds.
- 4
Sauté Mushrooms
Add the shiitake and wood ear mushrooms. Stir-fry for 2 minutes to release their earthy aroma.
- 5
Add Hardy Veggies
Add the bamboo shoots, lily flowers, and bean curd sticks.
- 6
Add Tofu
Stir in the fried tofu cubes and Napa cabbage.
- 7
Add Liquids
Pour in the vegetable broth and 1/2 cup of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Add soy sauce and vegetarian oyster sauce.
- 8
Braise
Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise for 10 minutes until the cabbage is completely soft and the bean curd has absorbed the sauce.
- 9
Add Noodles
Add the soaked glass noodles. Push them down into the liquid.
- 10
Simmer Noodles
Simmer for another 3 minutes until the noodles soak up most of the remaining broth.
- 11
Add Snow Peas
Toss in the snow peas right at the end so they remain crisp and bright green.
- 12
Serve
Drizzle with sesame oil, toss well, and serve hot.
Cooking Tips
- The ingredient list can vary wildly. 'Luohan' refers to the 18 Arhats (enlightened monks), so some purists insist on exactly 18 ingredients.
- Mushroom soaking water is liquid gold. Always reserve it to use as a vegetarian broth.
Variations
- Fat Choy: For Chinese New Year, 'hair moss' (Fat Choy) is often added because its name sounds like 'getting rich' in Cantonese.
Nutrition Estimate
250 calories · 12g protein · 35g carbs · 8g fat · 6g fiber per serving
