My Family's Simple Buddha's Delight (Lo Han Jai)

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1. 1Step 1: In separate bowls, soak the dried bean curd and woodear mushrooms (if using dried) in warm water. Dried bean curd will need 1-2 hours of soaking, while woodear mushrooms need just 5 minutes.
2. 2Step 2: In another bowl, soak the bean vermicelli in cold or room temp water. After 5 mins of soaking, cut the long vermicelli in half for easier stir frying later. Keep the vermicelli in water until we need it for cooking.
3. 3Step 3: Prep the veggies: wash and peel the carrot and lotus root, then slice into thin rounds (1/8” or thinner). The lotus root may need extra cleaning, as the holes can collect dirt easily.
4. 4Step 4: For the snow peas, peel from one end to the other of the to remove the tough fiber. This tough string is more prominent in more mature, firmer snow peas.
5. 5Step 5: Slice the Chinese celery and long Napa cabbage into 2 inch pieces.
6. 6Step 6: Slice tofu puffs in half or into strips. Once the bean curd is rehydrated (they should be soft and flexible), slice into 2 inch pieces, discarding any tough ends that don’t fully rehydrate.
7. 7Step 7: Mix all of the sauce ingredients together, and set aside.
8. 8Step 8: Heat up a pan on medium high heat and add neutral oil.
9. 9Step 9: Stir fry carrots and lotus root together for 2-3 min. Add a splash of water to help them soften slightly.
10. 10Step 10: Add the greens: Chinese celery, snow peas, and Napa cabbage. Stir fry for another 1-2 min. Add water if the pan seems dry.
11. 11Step 11: Once there’s just a slight char on the veggies, remove them from the pan.
12. 12Step 12: Add a bit more oil, and stir fry the bean curd and tofu puffs for 2 min or until the bean curd gets some color.
13. 13Step 13: Add all the veggies back to the pan, including the woodear mushrooms.
14. 14Step 14: Season with salt and HALF of the prepared sauce. Stir fry altogether for another minute or until some of the sauce has absorbed into the veggies.
15. 15Step 15: Check that the veggies (especially the root veggies) have softened to your liking. They should still maintain a light crunch.
16. 16Step 16: Add the bean vermicelli straight from the bowl of water to the pan (do not drain well, excess moisture is good here). Make sure to separate and spread the strands across the pan to prevent clumping.
17. 17Step 17: Add the rest of the sauce, sesame oil, and toss until everything has mixed together, and the vermicelli softens slightly. Don’t stir fry for too long, as the noodles will risk clumping together. Enjoy!