Takeout Buddha's Delight
羅漢齋·(luóhàn zhāi)
The Diet Menu: Health Conscious Fare
If you grew up staring at the illuminated menu boards of your local Chinese joint, you know the "Diet Section" well. Tucked away next to the steamed chicken and broccoli was this vegetarian powerhouse. We aren't trying to recreate a 19th-century monastic meal here; we're embracing the brilliant, adaptive nature of the immigrant American-Chinese kitchen. Crisp, vibrant produce, a quick pan-fry on the tofu, and a crystalline, garlic-ginger clear sauce that makes these vegetables shine like savory jewels. It’s exactly the takeout you remember, only better, because you just made it yourself on a Tuesday night.
Before you start
Mix the clear sauce.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the vegetable broth, Shaoxing wine, kosher salt, sugar, white pepper, and MSG. Set it right next to the stove.
Mix the slurry.
In a separate tiny bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water, stirring until perfectly smooth.
Ingredients
- extra-firm tofu14 oz
- neutral cooking oil2 tbsp
- broccoli florets2 cup
- carrot1 large
- napa cabbage1 cup
- snow peas1 cup
- sliced water chestnuts8 oz
- baby corn15 oz
- fresh button mushrooms4 oz
- garlic3 med clove
- fresh ginger1 tbsp
- vegetable broth1 cup
- Shaoxing wine1 tbsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- granulated sugar1 tsp
- ground white pepper1/4 tsp
- MSG1/4 tsp
- toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- cornstarch1 1/2 tbsp
- cold water2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Sear the tofu to create a chewy, protective skin.
Heat a large wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil, then sear the tofu cubes undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
- 02
Water-velvet the dense vegetables.
Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil in a medium pot, drop in the broccoli and carrots for exactly 60 seconds, then drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking so they remain perfectly crisp-tender.
- 03
Bloom the aromatics without browning them.
Wipe your wok clean if necessary, place it over medium heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, and stir the minced garlic and ginger continuously for 15 to 20 seconds. If the garlic burns, your clear sauce will turn murky and bitter.
- 04
Wok-toss the remaining vegetables over high heat.
Crank the heat up to high and immediately add the mushrooms, cabbage, snow peas, baby corn, and water chestnuts, tossing vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until the cabbage turns bright green.
- 05
Combine the ingredients and simmer the glaze.
Return the blanched broccoli, carrots, and fried tofu to the wok, pour the seasoned broth mixture over the top, and let it come to a rapid simmer for 1 minute so the flavors meld.
- 06
Stream in the cornstarch slurry to create the signature clear sauce.
Stir your slurry with a finger to recombine the settled starch, push the vegetables to the sides of the wok to expose the bubbling liquid, and slowly stream in the slurry while stirring constantly.
- 07
Kill the heat immediately once the sauce turns clear and glossy.
This happens fast. If you let a cornstarch slurry boil for too long, the starch bonds break and turn your beautiful glaze into a cloudy, watery soup.
- 08
Finish with sesame oil and serve.
With the heat off, drizzle the toasted sesame oil over the wok, give it one final gentle toss for that nutty aroma, and serve immediately over steamed rice.
Notes
The brown sauce variation.
While the Diet Menu favors the Clear Sauce, many joints serve this dish in a savory brown sauce. To do this, simply add 1 tablespoon of vegetarian oyster sauce and 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce to your broth mixture.
Embrace the takeout matrix.
The beauty of the commercial kitchen is absolute flexibility. Don't like baby corn? Double the broccoli. Just keep the total volume of vegetables roughly the same.