Cháo chay thập cẩm is a mixed vegetarian porridge, and a hot bowl of it is a good fit for Buddha Day. Rice, sticky rice and mung beans are cooked down into porridge, then combined with lotus seeds and a pan of shiitake mushrooms, carrot and fried tofu. Plan ahead: the mung beans soak for about 1–2 hours. Ingredients 200 g dried lotus seeds 1 carrot 300 g shiitake mushroom 2 sliced fried tofu (150 g) ¼ bowl mung bean, without the skin ½ bowl rice 1 bunch of sticky rice Coriander, salt, Maggi seasoning, pepper, poireau onion How to make cháo chay thập cẩm 1. Prepare the vegetables and tofu Peel the carrot, clean it and cut it into small cubes. Cut the roots off the shiitake mushrooms and wash them in water with salt added. Wash them again and leave them to dry. Fry the tofu and cut it into small cubes. 2. Toast the rice and soak the mung beans Wash the sticky rice and rice together 2–3 times and leave them to dry. Then put them in a pan and roast until they turn a yellowish brown. Clean the mung beans in water 2–3 times. Soak them in water for about 1–2 hours, then leave them to dry. 3. Cook the porridge base Put the sticky rice and rice into a pot with 1 bowl of water and the mung beans. Cook over low heat until everything is cooked. This is the important step. Keep cooking until all the sticky rice and rice have bloomed, then turn off the heat. 4. Cook the lotus seeds Clean the dried lotus seeds well. Bring 2 bowls of water to the boil and add the seeds. Every so often, use a spoon to skim off the dirty foam on the surface. Cook until the seeds are soft, then turn off the heat. 5. Fry the mushrooms, carrot and tofu Heat 2 teaspoons of oil, add sliced poireau onion and fry until fragrant. Add the carrot and mushrooms and stir-fry quickly for 3 minutes. Add the fried tofu with 2 teaspoons salt and fry for 5 minutes. 6. Bring it together Add the porridge from step 3 and the lotus seeds from step 4 to the pan of mushrooms, carrot and tofu. Cook over low heat, stirring gently now and then so the bottom doesn’t burn. Cook for another 15–20 minutes and season again with ½ Maggi vegetarian seasoning. Bring it back to the boil and taste, adjusting to suit you. Turn off the heat and sprinkle sliced poireau onion and coriander over the top. Eat it hot. The author likes to sprinkle more pepper on just before eating. Share:
