Braised Mixed Vegetables / Buddha's Delight (Lo Hon Chai - 罗汉斋)

This vegetarian dish which is usually served on the first day of Chinese New Year varies from family to family.  The main ingredient in this dish is the red fermented beancurd; due to its strong smell, it is an acquired taste. So, if you are not a fan of red fermented beancurd, you can just omit it and replace with another tablespoon of oyster sauce perhaps.   My family love this dish very much, so I cooked it quite often, not only on Chinese New Year.  

Ingredients:
250-300g Nappa cabbage, cut into 1" length
1 medium sized carrot, sliced
a handful of sugar snap peas, trim both ends
10 dried shiitake mushroom, soaked to soften
a handful of cloud ear fungus, soaked to soften
about 20g dried lily bulbs, tie in knots
1 piece bean curd sheet
40g glass noodles
10 pieces tofu puffs, cut into halves
100g Shimeji mushroom
100g enoki mushroom
4 cloves garlic, minced
a small knob of ginger, minced
3 shallots, minced
cooking oil

Seasoning:
3 cubes red fermented bean curd, mashed
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
salt, to taste
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 cup water

• Heat about half a cup of cooking oil in the wok and fry bean curd sheet until crispy.  Remove and using the spatula cut it into smaller pieces; set aside.  Then put glass noodles into the oil and fry until crispy.  Remove and set aside.
• Sauté minced ginger, shallots and garlic until aromatic.  Add in shiitake mushroom, tofu puffs, cloud ear fungus, lily bulbs and fry for about 2 minutes before adding in the seasoning.  Cover and let it stew for about 15 minutes or until the shiitake mushrooms are soft.
• Add in cabbage, carrot,  Shimeji and enoki mushrooms, fried beancurd sheet and fried glass noodles.  Braised until cabbage is soft.   Add more water if too dry.  Finally add in sugar snap peas and cook for a minute or two.