Eight-Treasure Stir-Fry

In China, ba (eight) is a lucky number because it sounds like the word fa, which means "to become wealthy." For this eight-ingredient dish, Han Feng stir-fries three types of mushrooms with scallions, green chile, bean sprouts, tofu and apple, then seasons the dish with softened tea leaves. More Healthy Asian Recipes

Total Time:
30 mins
Yield:
8 (as part of a multicourse meal)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water

  • 1 teaspoon loose tea, preferably Longjing

  • 1/3 cup dried wood ear mushrooms (1/4 ounce)

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 8 shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced

  • 1 long, thin green chile, split lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise

  • 1 small Granny Smith apple—peeled, cored and sliced 1/8 inch thick

  • One 14-ounce can whole straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed

  • 8 ounces firm tofu, sliced 1/3 inch thick and cut into 1-inch strips

  • 1 cup mung bean sprouts (3 ounces)

Directions

  1. In a cup, pour the 1 tablespoon of boiling water over the tea; let steep for 5 minutes. Strain the tea, reserving the leaves.

  2. In a small, heatproof bowl, soak the wood ears in the remaining 1/2 cup of boiling water until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Cut off any hard bits; slice the wood ears into thin strips.

  3. Set a wok or large skillet over high heat for 3 minutes. Add the oil and when it begins to smoke, add the shiitake mushrooms and chile and season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry until the chile is browned, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and apple and stir-fry until the apple is almost tender, about 2 minutes. Add the wood ears and straw mushrooms and stir-fry until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Add the tofu and the tea leaves and stir gently until sizzling, about 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Fold in the bean sprouts. Mound the vegetables on small plates and serve.

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