Wishing all a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year!
The vegetarian recipe for Taro Basket with Mixed Vegetables:
Serving: 2 taro baskets
Ingredients
Taro Basket
- 500g taro (peel, cut into large cubes, steam till soft and mash)
- ½ cup wheat starch
- ½ tsp five-spice powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tbsp sugar
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 30g glass noodles
Filling
- ½ cup shiitake mushrooms (soak in hot water till soft and cut into 1cm cubes)
- 1 cup capsicum cubes (1.5cm cubes)
- ½ cup carrot slices (1.5cm thin slices)
- ½ cup canned button mushrooms (cut into quarters)
- ½ cup cucumber cubes (remove the core and cut into 1.5cm cubes)
- ½ cup roasted cashew nuts
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp white pepper powder
Method
Taro Basket
- Place wheat starch in a large bowl, add boiling water and stir to form a sticky lump.
- Add mashed taro, five-spice powder, salt, sugar and vegetable oil; knead the mixture evenly till it forms a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into two; shape each into a bowl shape of diameter 12cm and height 6cm.
- Heat sufficient oil in a wok and fry the taro baskets (one by one) on high flame till golden brown; remove, drain and place on serving plates.
- Fry glass noodles by using a big wire skimmer to press them into the hot oil for a few seconds, remove immediately once they are puffed; decorate around the taro baskets.
Filling
- Heat oil in a wok or pan, fry shiitake mushrooms for 30 seconds; add vegetarian oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, carrot and button mushrooms, fry for 30 seconds.
- Add water and stir fry, cover and cook for 2 minutes with medium heat.
- Mix tapioca starch and sugar with some water, pour the mixture into the wok and stir well.
- Add capsicum, cucumber, sesame oil and white pepper powder; stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Dish out and place the filing in the taro baskets.
- Garnish with roasted cashew nuts and serve.
