Buddha's Delight (Lo Han Jai) is a gorgeous and delicious vegetarian dish. It is made with vegetables, tofu, and noodles. It's a popular Chinese and Buddhist dish that looks complex but comes together very easily once you have the ingredients. Lo Han Jai is often enjoyed for Chinese New Year!
We always celebrated Chinese New Year's eve with a big dinner at grandma's house in Hawaii.
At the end of the night, she would send us home with the components (all prepared in advance) for making lo han jai the next day.
Early the next morning my mom would stir fry the ingredients together, add some seasoning, and we'd have hot and fresh lo han jai for breakfast. Delicious! This tradition of enjoying lo han jai for Chinese New Year's day breakfast is still one we do decades later.
Even when I lived in NYC, I would always fly home for Chinese New Year. It is a very special time ^_^
Many Versions
Every family that makes Buddha's Delight (Lo Han Jai) has their own version. There is no right, wrong, or best. There is only the one you enjoy!
I love the version that we are sharing today - it is the one I grew up eating and the one that is most familiar to me.
But I also enjoy the version that my grandma's Buddhist temple makes (they make it in a GIANT batch and share with everyone). And there are the versions that you can find in restaurants. They are each unique and tasty in their own way.
All these versions differ in ingredients and seasonings, but they share a common thread of many vegetables and simple but tasty flavors.
Jump to:
- Many Versions
- Ingredients
- Noodles + 8 Vegetables
- Choy Sum or Bok Choy
- Dried Lily Flowers
- Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
- Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms
- Ginkgo Nuts
- Dried Bean Curd Sticks
- Fried Tofu Puffs
- Fried (or Braised) Wheat Gluten
- Cellophane Noodles
- Black Moss (aka Fat Choy)
- Instructions
- Storage
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- Buddha's Delight (Lo Han Jai) Recipe
- Buddha's Delight (Lo Han Jai)
- Related
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Choy sum or bok choy
- Dried lily flowers
- Dried shiitake mushrooms
- Dried wood ear mushrooms
- Ginkgo nuts
- Dried bean curd sticks
- Fried tofu puffs - We like to buy fresh ones from Aloha Tofu Factory, but you can find fried tofu puffs at most Asian markets.
- Fried or braised wheat gluten - Optional. If you skip this, then double the amount of fried tofu puffs used.
- Cellophane noodles - Also called glass noodles or mung bean noodles.
- Sesame oil
- Oyster sauce - Use vegetarian oyster sauce if you want to keep the dish vegetarian.
- Soy sauce
- Black moss - Also called fat choy.
See recipe card for quantities. And see below for more details about each ingredient and how to prepare them.
Noodles + 8 Vegetables
There are many ways to make Buddha's Delight (Lo Han Jai), but most agree the ingredient list includes: cellophane noodles plus 8 vegetables.
Why 8? It's a lucky number ^_^
(We use the term vegetables loosely because that also includes things like gingko nuts and fried tofu puffs.)
The 8 vegetables can vary so in addition to the ones we listed in our ingredient list, you might also find versions with bamboo shoots, napa cabbage, leeks, chives, water chestnuts and much more.
Note: In the recipe today we technically use 9 vegetables because we use fried tofu puffs and fried wheat gluten balls...we love them both, couldn't resist!
Choy Sum or Bok Choy
You can use choy sum or bok choy. Bok choy is more commonly listed in lo han jai recipes because it is easier to find. If you can find choy sum (which we can in Hawaii), then definitely use choy sum.
If you can't find either, then you can use napa cabbage.
To prepare: clean and pat dry. Cut into 2-inch pieces.
Dried Lily Flowers
Dried lily flowers seem like an unusual ingredient but they are wonderful and easy to cook with. Rehydrate them in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes and drained. Cut off the tough stem/tip.
Tie a knot with each piece (just for aesthetics, but it is a nice touch).
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
Dried shiitake mushrooms is an ingredient you should always have on hand! Store in a sealed bag in the refrigerator and it will last longer.
Rehydrate the mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and save the soaking water. We like to leave the small mushrooms whole and cut the big mushrooms into ¼-inch slices.
Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms
Dried wood ear mushrooms are a versatile pantry staple and used in other recipes like Wood Ear Mushroom Salad and Wood Ear Mushroom Stir Fry.
Rehydrate the mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes and drain.
Ginkgo Nuts
These are sold in vacuum sealed bags. Just rinse and pat dry.
Dried Bean Curd Sticks
Dried bean curd sticks are super versatile and a pantry staple in our home.
For this recipe, rehydrate them in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes. Then drain and slice into 2-inch pieces.
Fried Tofu Puffs
Who doesn't love fried tofu puffs ^_^ You can buy them at Asian markets, but we like to buy them fresh from Aloha Tofu Factory. Cut into bite size pieces.
Fried (or Braised) Wheat Gluten
Fried or braised wheat gluten is delicious but optional. If you're not using them then double the amount of fried tofu puffs used.
In this recipe we used fried wheat gluten balls (pictured above). Rehydrate them in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and gently squeeze out all the water.
Cellophane Noodles
Cellophane noodles are also called glass noodles or mung bean noodles. We use these noodles in many of our recipes like Chicken Long Rice, Chicken Hekka, and Cha Trung (Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf).
Simply rehydrate the noodles in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes and then drain.
Black Moss (aka Fat Choy)
Black moss is also called fat choy. We eat this during Chinese New Year because it is believed to be very lucky!
Rehydrate the black moss in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Rinse and soak in a fresh bowl of cold water for another 10 minutes. Drain.
Instructions
Let's get cooking!
Add a little oil into a large pan over medium high heat. Stir fry the choy sum for a few minutes until cooked. Remove to a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, add the lily flowers and shiitake mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes.
Then add the wood ear mushrooms and bean curd sticks to the pan. Cook for 2 more minutes.
Add the fried tofu puffs (and fried or braised wheat gluten if using). Cook for 2 more minutes.
Add the cellophane noodles followed by the sesame oil, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Add the choy sum back into the pan. Toss and cook until everything is mixed.
Add the black moss and gently toss/mix so that it's evenly distributed. Turn off the heat and slide everything onto a large serving dish. Eat warm and enjoy ^_^
Storage
This dish is best enjoyed fresh but leftovers keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Store in a sealed container. Microwave in 30 second increments to reheat.
Top Tip
Make a dipping sauce! Put Maggi seasoning and chopped chili peppers in a bowl (we use Thai or Hawaiian chili pepper). Dip away, it's so good! We especially enjoy dipping the bean curd sticks into this sauce.
FAQ
Make sure to try Pan Fried Nian Gao / Gau ^_^
As tempting as that may be (because the noodles would be way easier to eat), please do not cut the noodles for this recipe.
Why? This is a considered a good luck recipe for Chinese New Year. Keep the noodles long so that you can have a long life ^_^
Simple. With a bowl of rice!
Give everyone a nice generous bowl of rice and put the Buddha's Delight (Lo Han Jai) in a large serving platter in the middle of the table. Eat and enjoy! It makes the perfect pairing.
P.S. Don't forget to make the dipping sauce mentioned in the "Top Tip" section above.
Buddha's Delight (Lo Han Jai) Recipe
See below and enjoy ^_^
Buddha's Delight (Lo Han Jai)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch choy sum or bok choy Clean and pat dry. Cut into 2-inch pieces.
- ¼ cup dried lily flowers Rehydrate in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes and drained. Cut off the stem/tip. Tie a knot with each piece.
- 12 whole dried shiitake mushrooms Rehydrate in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and save the soaking water. Leave the small mushrooms whole and cut the big mushrooms into ¼-inch slices.
- ⅓ cup dried woodear mushrooms Rehydrate in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes and drained.
- ¼ cup ginkgo nuts Rinse and pat dry.
- 2 sticks dried bean curd sticks Rehydrate in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and slice into 2-inch pieces.
- 1 cup fried tofu puffs Cut into bite size pieces.
- 1 cup fried or braised wheat gluten (optional, double the amount of tofu puffs if not using this) Rehydrate fried wheat gluten balls (pictured in this blog post) in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and gently squeeze out all the water
- 2 bundles cellophane noodles (also called glass noodles or mung bean noodles) Rehydrate in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Drain.
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce if you want to keep the dish vegetarian)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ½ cup black moss (also called fat choy) Rehydrate in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Rinse and soak in a fresh bowl of cold water for another 10 minutes. Drain.
Instructions
- Add a little oil into a large pan over medium high heat. Stir fry the choy sum for a few minutes until cooked. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the lily flowers and shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Then add the wood ear mushrooms and bean curd sticks to the pan. Stir fry for 2 more minutes.
- Add the fried tofu puffs (and fried or braised wheat gluten if using). Stir fry for 2 more minutes.
- Add the cellophane noodles followed by the sesame oil, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Add the choy sum back into the pan as well. Toss and cook until everything is well mixed.
- Add the black moss and gently toss/mix so that everything is evenly distributed. Turn off the heat and slide everything onto a large serving dish. Eat warm and enjoy ^_^
Related
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Mahalo for Reading!