The Plant-Based Meal My Dad's Made 100,000 Times
Why this recipe
Most plant-based meal recipes online are tested only a handful of times. My dad used to make this dish multiple times a day, every day, for 50 years and can make this in his sleep.
I know you'll love it as much as our community does! This recipe has over 49.5K views, 1.8K likes on YouTube.
This is our masterclass on cooking Chinese plant-based meals that are extremely healthy and equally delicious!
This is our guide to making a complete 3 course meal:
Vegetable Stir Fry
Mushroom Tofu Soup
Brown Rice with Mung Bean
Thank you Asian Health Services!
Asian Health Services (AHS), established in Oakland Chinatown in 1974, offers medical, dental, and behavioral health services to over 50,000 patients, focusing on holistic well-being and addressing social determinants of health like food insecurity and housing. The Happy Kitchen project aims to promote food as medicine to prevent chronic diseases by teaching communities how to prepare accessible, culturally relevant meals using simple techniques to improve nutrition while preserving flavor, and heritage.
To learn more about how to support programs like these visit https://bit.ly/ahsmwl.
Thank you to the National Association of Community Health Centers' Innovation Incubator powered by Abbott and the UC Berkeley Public Health Social Impact Innovation Team funded by Ken Hao and Kathy Chiao for making this partnership possible.
Ingredients
Instructions
Prep rice & rehydrate
Rehydrate dried cloud ear fungus (0.25 ounce) in warm water for 5 minutes.
Wash brown rice (12 ounce) 3 times and soak water water (24 ounce) for 10 minutes before cooking.
Wash and rinse peeled, split mung beans (3 ounce) 3 times.
(Buy the peeled, split variety of mung beans. They are easier to cook, and the variety with peels are thicker and less tasty.)
Prep soup ingredients
Peel the carrot (3 ounce), then cut into diagonal slices. (Set aside half for the stir fry.)
Cut through the corn (1 cob) into 1-inch slices.
Cut king oyster mushroom (2 ounce) in half, split into 3 sections, then cut 1/4-inch slices.
Cut off the roots of the white shimeji mushrooms (3 ounce), wash, and peel apart.
Open and drain container of tofu (14 ounce). Cut in half, then 4 slices on the short side, 5 slices on the long side. Place back into the container.
Prep stir-fry
Cut off stems of the fresh shiitake mushrooms (4 ounce), wash, and cut into about 1/2 inch thick slices diagonally (about 3 to 4 slices per mushroom.)
Halve the king oyster mushroom (2 ounce) (if you haven't already from the soup prep.) Then cut it diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices.
Cut the carrot (2 ounce) into diagonal, 1/4 inch slices.
Rinse the five spice bean curd (2 pieces), then cut diagonal slices about 1/2 inch thick.
Peel off the ends and string off of the snow peas (2 ounce), starting with the tip (opposite the stem).
Cut off the roots of the white shimeji mushroom (3 ounce), then wash.
With the now-rehydrated cloud ear fungus (0.25 ounce), you can leave them as is or split apart bigger pieces in half.
With the broccoli (4 ounce), trim but don't cut through the florets, only through the stems (otherwise the florets will flake off.)
Smash and peel garlic (2 clove), trim off the end, cut into 1/4 inch slices.
Cut ginger (0.33 ounce) into slices then large strips.
Set aside cashews (4 ounce) (whole, unsalted.)
Cook rice
After soaking the brown rice for at least 10 minutes from the prep step, cook brown rice by itself first.
After it's been boiling (i.e. steam is visibly escaping) for about 10 minutes, add the mung beans to the surface. (If you cook with the mung beans, they'll turn into a paste)
Cook for another 10 minutes. Then, stir the mung beans into the rice.
Cook soup
Boil water (8 cup) (the amount is up to you). Add the corn and carrots immediately while covering and bringing to a boil on high heat.
Once boiling, lower heat to medium, then cook for 10 minutes. The goal is to release the flavors from the corn and carrots. Partially uncover the lid if the lid is vibrating
After about 10 minutes, add the tofu and stir. Bring the stove to high heat and return the pot to a boil.
Once the pot returns to a boil, add both of the mushrooms.
Once the pot is boiling again, turn heat to low and add flavors: (salt (1 teaspoon), sugar (0.50 teaspoon), olive oil (1 teaspoon))
We're keeping the flavors are very simple, but you can add soy sauce, chicken bouillon, etc.
Do a taste test and adjust as necessary.
Cook stir fry
Blanch vegetables: heat a wok on high and add boiling water with 1 teaspoon of salt. Have a spider strainer and colander ready for draining.
- Blanch broccoli, dried bean curd, carrot first, cover and cook on high heat for about 90 seconds.
- Once boiling, add both mushrooms, and fungi. About 20 to 30 seconds later, add snow peas. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling (after about 2 minutes), remove everything with a spider strainer into a colander to drain.
Stir fry:
Drain and wipe the wok, reheat on high heat.
Prepare a slurry with cornstarch (1 teaspoon) and water (2 tablespoon)
Lower the heat to medium, add ginger and garlic, then let it bloom for 20 to 30 seconds.
Set the stove to high heat, and add the vegetables. Toss and stir.
Add curry powder (2 teaspoon) (the curry needs to be stir fried earlier to activate the flavor). Continue stirring. Add coconut milk (3 tablespoon), and stir/toss.
- My dad says curry powder must be paired with coconut milk, which adds balance to color, texture.
Set heat to low and add salt (0.50 teaspoon), sugar (1 teaspoon), then stir and toss for about 20 to 30 seconds. Stir and add the slurry, then stir and toss.
Turn off the heat, add finishing olive oil (about 2 teaspoons.)
Lather on cashews after plating. (If you cook them, they'll be too soft and mushy.)