Braised Bamboo Shoots with Shitake Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 5 Shiitake mushrooms
- 10 oz bamboo shoots peeled and cut into 3/4 inch diagonal pieces
- 3 gluten rolls (see separate recipe)
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sugar (or equivalent sweetener)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 slices ginger
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (Coconut, palm, peanut or soybean oil is
recommended, but olive or canola can also
be used)
- Splash toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 20 minutes, or until soft. Rinse well to remove dirt, and squeeze out the water. Trim the stems and julienne.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan until hot. Fry the gluten rolls for 1–2 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on absorbent towels, then cut into ¾-inch cubes.
- Put the broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, soy sauce, sweetener, salt and ginger. Return to a boil, then reduce to low heat.
- Add the fried gluten roll cubes to the pot and simmer the mixture for about eight minutes. Sprinkle with sesame oil at the end of cooking.
- Transfer to a warm serving dish and serve immediately.
Notes
A Little About Bamboo Shoots: A traditional forest vegetable in China for more than 2,500 years, bamboo shoots are not only delicious, but also rich in nutrients. They rank among the five most popular healthcare foods in the world. The Compendium of Materia Medica, a pharmaceutical text written during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), states: “Bamboo is slightly cold, sweet, non-toxic, and it quenches thirst, benefits the liquid circulatory system, supplements qi, and can be served as a daily dish.”