Skip to content

Dinner · Side

Buddha’s Delight (Vegetable Braise)

A braise of napa cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, carrots, snap peas, water chestnuts and glassy noodles. Many Buddhist families eat it on the first day of the New Year, when some avoid meat.

⏱ 40 min (20 min prep, 20 min cooking) 🍽 Serves 6 · about 1½ cups budgetleftovers vegetarianvegandairy free

In our collection Lunar New Year: menu and shopping list →

📅 Add to my plan

ContainsWheat, Soybeans, Sesame. Check the labels on what you buy; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 6 servings
  • 2 oz Rice noodles, thin, or bean thread noodles
  • 2 tbsp Canola oil
  • 14 oz Firm tofu, firm, pressed and cut in cubes
  • 8 oz White mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 clove Garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 Carrots, sliced thin
  • 1 lb Napa cabbage, about half a head, cut in 2-inch pieces
  • 1 can Sliced water chestnuts, drained and sliced
  • 6 oz Snap peas

  • Sauce

  • 1 cup Vegetable broth
  • 2 tbsp Low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp Granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil

Make it yourself

Make the vegetable stock yourself →

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

Steps

You’ll need: wok or large skillet with a lid, bowl for soaking noodles.

  1. Soak the noodles in hot water 10 minutes, drain and cut into shorter lengths with scissors.
  2. Stir the sauce ingredients together.
  3. Heat the oil in the wok and brown the tofu on two sides, 5 minutes; set aside. Stir-fry the mushrooms 3 minutes, then the garlic, ginger and carrot 1 minute.
  4. Add the cabbage and water chestnuts, then the sauce. Cover and simmer 5 minutes until the cabbage wilts.
  5. Add the snap peas, tofu and noodles and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens and everything is hot.
Make aheadCut the vegetables a day ahead.
↺ LeftoversRefrigerate within 2 hours; eat within 3 to 4 days.
🧒 With kidsKids can snap the ends off the peas.
Gluten-free swapUse tamari and check the hoisin label.

Goes well with

🍚 Fluffy White Rice🍜 Longevity Noodles

Good to know

Cooking Fats Compared Stock vs. broth

An original Teddy Rook Book recipe, written for our Lunar New Year collection; safety steps follow USDA. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.