Wednesday 24 February 2010

Braised Dao Gan

As with the previous years, we usually have a vegetarian meal on the first day of the lunar new year. I've made another version of Tzai Choy, Sweat and Sour Veaty Bites, and a Braised Dao Gan (a type of layered beancurd skin) dish.

Vegetarian Dau Gan

I just made this according to what I have on hand eliminating the usage of a vegetarian oyster sauce since I didn't want to buy one bottle just to make one dish. What I have here is a packet of defrosted dao gan, a handful of soaked dry Chinese mushroom stalks (mushrooms were used for the Tzai Choy), some soaked kei chi (boxthorn/lycium/Chinese wolfberry) and reserve the water, and a bunch of blanched broccoli to line the plate.

Shred the mushroom stalks with fingers (fingernails come in very handy here) into floss like strips and fry them in oil till crispy. Remove and set aside. This look kinda like dried scallops.

Lightly pan fry the dao gan. I've used a non-stick pan to easy frying and did not need to use a lot of oil. Remove and soak up the oil with paper towel.

Using the same pan which should not contain a lot of oil, pour some water including the kei chi water (enough to cover the dao gan), light soy sauce, white pepper powder and wee bit of sugar. Let it come to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Put in the dao gan, mushroom stalks (you can leave some to sprinkle on top of the completed dish but I was just too lazy) and kei chi, braise for about 15 mins. Pour in some cornstarch solution to thicken the sauce up slightly.

Dish up and pour dao gan over the broccoli. Serve with rice.


Our First Day of New Year Dish
Tzai Choy Version 2.0
Tzai Choy (Vegetarian Dish) Version 3.0
Vegetarian Dishes for First Day of Lunar New Year
Tzai Choy Version 5.0

7 comments:

  1. Nowadays, I have been trying to use less and less oyster sauce (be it vegetarian or not). I think without that, vegetarian food can still taste very good as long as you know the ingredients and know how to infuse and impart flavors across.

    Your braise looks delicious!

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  2. Actually my family only uses the vegetarian oyster sauce because unless you buy the premium oyster sauce the ordinary oyster sauce doesn't really use oysters but just uses other shellfish or seafood.

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  3. honestly, i have no idea one can use beancurd dish this way! now i know!

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  4. Looks so delicious! And I like the idea of the wolfberry on the dish.

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  5. i think so too, tigerfish

    thanks BBO & LCOM

    yeah i know oyster sauce is not made entirely of oyster, sh :D

    daphne, i got the inspiration from the dishes served at restaurants :p

    thanks Selba. wolfberries lend a bit of sweetness to the dish.

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