Daniel Reid - Chinese Vegetarian Cooking

Published by Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. www.periplus.com Copyright 2002 Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. All rights reserved. The publisher wishes to thank the following for the use of their tableware: Lifestorey, Singapore, pages 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 27, 31, 32, 45, 50, 55, 56 and 60; Robinsons, Singapore, pages 14, 15, 18, 28, 34, 37, 38, 41 (small bowls), 46, 49, 53 and 63. ISBN: 9781462911004 (ebook)
Printed in Singapore 12 11 1104CP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Distributors Asia Pacific: Berkeley Books Pte Ltd,
61 Tai Seng Avenue, #0212
Singapore 534167
Tel (65) 6280 1330; Fax (65) 6280 6290.
www.periplus.com Indonesia: PT Java Books Indonesia, Kawasan Industri Pulogadung
Jl. 9
Jakarta 13930, Indonesia
Tel: 62 (21) 4682 1088; Fax: 62 (21) 461 0206.
www.periplus.co.id Photography: Jrg Sunderman Food Styling: Myrna Sim Recipe tester: Angie Ng Design: Periplus Design Team Basic Chinese Ingredients
Bamboo shoots are the fresh shoots of the bamboo plant, which make an excellent vegetable.
www.periplus.co.id Photography: Jrg Sunderman Food Styling: Myrna Sim Recipe tester: Angie Ng Design: Periplus Design Team Basic Chinese Ingredients
Bamboo shoots are the fresh shoots of the bamboo plant, which make an excellent vegetable.

Fresh shoots taste better than canned, but must be peeled, sliced and boiled in water for about 20 minutes before using. Pre-cooked sliced bamboo shoots, packed in water, can be found in the refrigerated section of supermarkets and are convenient and ready to use. Canned bamboo shoots should be boiled for 5 minutes to refresh before using. Black bean paste(tau cheo) is similar to Japanese miso but much saltiermade of soft, slightly fermented soybeans in a salty brown sauce with a distinctive tang. They are mashed and used to season fish, noodle and some vegetable dishes. Oyster sauce is a sauce that is soy-based with oyster extract. Oyster sauce is a sauce that is soy-based with oyster extract.

Vegetarians should look for a version sold as "mushroom oyster sauce". Rice wine is used frequently in Chinese cooking. Japanese sake, mirin or a dry sherry may all be used as substitutes. Sesame oil is extracted from sesame seeds that have been toasted, producing a dark, dense and highly aromatic oil that is used for marinades, sauces and soups, or as a table condiment. Its nutty, smokey flavor has become a hallmark of Chinese cuisine. Black Chinese mushrooms have large caps with creamy gills.

They are normally sold dried, but are also available fresh in many places (same as shiitake). The stems of the dried mushrooms are discarded because they are too tough to eat. Fresh shiitake stems are quite edible. Dried black mushrooms are often preferred because their flavor is stronger than fresh ones. They must be reconstituted by soaking in hot water for 20 minutes or longer (up to an hour if you've purchased the thicker, more expensive grade). Black Chinese vinegar is made from rice, wheat and millet or sorghum. Black Chinese vinegar is made from rice, wheat and millet or sorghum.

The best black vinegars are well-aged and have a complex, smoky flavor similar to balsamic, which may be substituted. Chinese cooks add black vinegar sparingly to sauces, dips and when braising meats. Sichuan pepper is also known as fagara, Chinese pepper or flower pepper (hua jiao in Mandarin). It has a sharp pungence that tingles and slightly numbs the lips and tongue, an effect known in Chinese as ma la "numb hot". Sichuan pepper-salt powder may be prepared by toasting 2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan with 1 teaspoon of sea salt, then grinding the mixture to a fine powder. Sesame paste is made from ground, roasted sesame seeds and comes in glass jars covered with oil. Sesame paste is made from ground, roasted sesame seeds and comes in glass jars covered with oil.

It is quite hard and needs to be mixed with a little sesame oil or water to make it into a smooth paste. If you can't find it, use Middle Eastern tahini mixed with some sesame oil to give it more flavor. Not to be confused with sweet sesame paste made from black sesame seeds which is used in some snacks and desserts. White fungus is also known as white wood ears, and has a crunchy texture and a slightly sweet flavor. It is sold dried and must be soaked in water before using. Wood ear fungus is a type of thin, crinkly mushroom added to dishes for its crunchy texture.

It is available both fresh and dried. Wash well and discard any hard patch in the center. Soak dried wood ear fungus in water until soft before using.

Soft tofu	Tofu skin
Dried sweet tofu strips (tau kee)	Firm tofu
Pressed tofu (tau kwa)

Tofu or bean curd comes in various form. Soft tofu is silky and smooth but difficult to cook because it falls apart. Pressed tofu (often confusingly labeled as firm tofu) is a type of firm tofu with much of the moisture extracted and is therefore much firmer in texture and excellent for stir-fries. Pressed tofu (often confusingly labeled as firm tofu) is a type of firm tofu with much of the moisture extracted and is therefore much firmer in texture and excellent for stir-fries.

Refrigerate fresh tofu closed in a plastic container submerged in water. Tofu skin is the dried skin that forms on top of boiling soy milk; it is dried and sold in sheets as a wrapper, or as