Vegetarian Eight Treasures

Eight is a lucky number for Chinese. Enjoy this tasty & healthy vegetarian dish enriched with vegetables & peanuts, wheat gluten and spicy pressed bean curd. This popular Chinese vegetarian dish rich in protein and is therefore, widely available, specially in the Asian markets. Ingredients 4 dried pieces of mushrooms, 3.5 tablespoons carrot, 5 tablespoons wheat gluten, 3 pieces spicy pressed bean curd, 3.5 tablespoons water chestnuts (fresh if possible), 5 tablespoons string beans, 1/4 cup peanuts, 1 garlic clove, 1 red chili, 1 shallot, 1.5 tablespoons hot bean paste, 1 teaspoon rice wine. Seasoning : 1/4 teaspoon salt or as per taste, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 cup water (50 ml), 1/2 teaspoon hoisin sauce, 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, pepper - a few shakes, Sufficient Oil for deep-frying and stir-frying. Preparation • First, soak the dried mushrooms to soft & tender. You can also save the soaking liquid for the seasoning instead of water. • Then, wash thoroughly and dice finely the string beans, carrot, gluten ball, water chestnuts, spicy pressed bean curd and red chili separately. • Peel the garlic and shallot and chop finely. Mix together all the seasoning ingredients in a bowl, including finely chopped garlic & shallot. • Parboil the peanuts, carrots and string beans for about 2 minutes. After draining well set these aside. • Deep-fry the peanuts over a high intensity of heat until these are golden brown in colour. Repeat this process with the gluten ball. • Stir-fry the pastes of garlic, hot bean and shallot. Add all the ingredients gradually except the peanuts, and then add to it the rice wine and seasoning. When cooked turn off the flame and mix in peanuts.