4 pieces fried tofu (chow doufu), cut into slices (packaged in the refrigerated section) -blessings
1 small package fresh gingko nuts (bak ko), rinsed (peeled and boiled, found in refrigerated section) - silver ingots (coins) & good fortune
1 small can water chestnuts (ma tal); Yin-Yin uses fresh water chestnuts -
unity
1 small carrot, thinly sliced - good luck, gold coins and wealth
1 cup snow peas, stringy veins removed -unity
½ cup bamboo shoots, cut into matchsticks; substituted for bamboo piths (jook tseng) -long life
1 cup chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
½ cup water
1 to 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (Yin-Yin uses peanut oil)
1 to 2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 to 6 tablespoons oyster sauce (to taste)
Dash of salt and pepper to taste, if necessary
Raw peanuts (far sung), optional - birth
Dried oysters (ho see), optional - good luck & good things
Instructions
As a short-cut, soak dried shiitake (black) mushrooms and ear wood mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes.
Once soft, slice shiitake mushrooms into lengthwise pieces and chop ear wood mushrooms into bite-sized pieces or strips. I just rough chopped these out of laziness.
In separate bowls, also soak dried black moss and mung bean noodles.
Boil dried lily flower bulbs about 20 minutes until tender.
If you are using dried bean curd strips, instead of fresh, soak these in water overnight.
If using peanuts, soak these overnight.
In a measuring cup with a spout, mix 1 cup chicken broth and dilute with ½ cup water. Set aside.
Clean snow peas by pinching off the tip on one end with your fingernails and strip stringy vein off. Repeat with the other end and pull string along the opposite side so that both sides of the snow pea is stripped of the stringy vein that is often so difficult to chew.
Blanch the snow peas for 3 minutes. Quickly drain and shock with ice water to maintain their vibrant green color.
Slice carrots. Then blanch the carrots in boiling water for 4 minutes, until just tender, then drain and shock with ice water.
In a large pot (or wok, if you have one), heat a little vegetable oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat then add and gently stir-fry: shiitake mushrooms, ear wood mushroom, fresh bean curd threads, gingko nuts and lily bud flower petals. (Add peanuts at this point if using.) At this point I added a little bit of the chicken (vegetable) broth mixture.
Next add fried tofu, black moss, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. The black moss tends to clump so I did my best to separate the strands. For some reason, I really like the black moss although you really can't taste it. Gently toss, then add a bit more broth and 1 tablespoon oyster sauce.
The stringy black moss, fried tofu and the ear wood mushrooms are my favorites.
Next, drain mung bean noodles. These should be soft and pliable. Add to the pot and gently stir. Add a bit more of the broth, 2 - 3 tablespoons oyster sauce, stir and allow this to cook for about 15 minutes. Continue to add the broth as the liquid evaporates and is absorbed into the noodles. Taste the jai, and add additional 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce if necessary. Yin-Yin's jai tends to have a delicate flavor so I tended towards seasoning my jai experiment on the lighter side.
The mung bean noodles begin to break as I cooked the jai although I did my best to preserve the long glass noodles.
After the noodles were cooked, add the snow peas and carrots, allowing them to warm-up for a minute or two, then turned off the heat.
Notes
Recipe compliments of Honolulu Star Bulletin.
Recipe by Bebe Love Okazu at https://bebeloveokazu.com/2011/02/17/jai-buddhas-delight/