MEATLESS DISH - BRAISED CARROTS WITH TOFU PUFFS

There is nothing to shout about this dish that looks bland. I agreed if just by looks but when considering that you have limited food ingredients in hand, it is worthwhile to try out this dish. Furthermore, just to share a note, this dish tastes good after resting with some thick gravy. Even more delicious if you increase the seasoning but for home consumption, it may not be necessary.

Simple, easy to cook meatless dish with only 2 main ingredients.

Ingredients

10-12 pieces tofu puffs - soaked in hot water, drained and cut diagonally

150-200 gm white carrot - peeled, cut 1/2 cm thick slices

a few slices of ginger [more if you like braised ginger]

some chopped spring onions for garnishing

Seasoning

2-3 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce [mushroom]

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar to taste [optional depending on the sauces used]

a few drops of dark soy sauce for colour

1/4 tsp pepper

1. Soak tofu puff in hot water for 5 minutes, drained in colander to cool then lightly squeezed to release excess water.  Cut halve or diagonally.
2. Fry ginger slices in oil until aromatic, then add in tofu puffs.  Continue to fry for 1-2 minutes.  Then add in sliced carrots.  Stir fry to combine all ingredients.
3. Add in seasoning and enough water to cover the ingredients.  Bring to boil, then lower heat to braise.  Cover with lid  to cook until carrots  are tender and water reduced to thick consistency.
4. Tastes to adjust seasoning.  Add spring onions now or use as garnishing.
5. Dish up, garnish with chopped spring onions.

MEATLESS DISH - STIR FRY CHINESE SPINACH WITH FIRM BEANCURD

Chinese Spinach also known as Puay Leng [Chinese Hokkien dialect], Bayam [in Malay], Por Choy [in Chinese Cantonese dialect] etc. Many people may not be a fan of this vegetable but it does have several benefits, such as for eye care, reduce oxidative stress, help prevent cancer, bone health, reduce blood pressure levels etc. It is an easy and quick cook vegetable suitable for young and old.

This dish can be served with rice or porridge for lunch or dinner. The ingredients can also be used to stir noodles of your choice. Meatless dish can also be tempting, healthy and delicious.

Vegetarian stir fry vegetables are versatile dishes where you can add other ingredients such as mushrooms [different varieties], tofu puff or tofu etc.  For non vegan, you can drizzle some cooking wine, it is alright.  For simplicity, you can just stick to the ingredients used here.

Ingredients

200 gm Chinese spinach - washed, cut into sections

2 pieces firm beancurd - cut thick strips

30 gm red carrot - peeled and cut thin slices

some chopped ginger [for vegetarians]

some chopped garlic [for non-vegetarians]

Seasoning

a few dashes of mushroom stock granules

salt to taste

dash of pepper

dash of sesame seed oil

1. Pan fry beancurd strips in a non stick pan until golden brown.  Push aside.
2. Add in chopped ginger or garlic.  Saute until aromatic.  Add in sliced carrots.
3. Continue to fry for a minute or two, then add in the vegetables.
4. Stir fry to mix ingredients well.  Add seasoning to taste.
5. Dish up to serve.

MEATLESS DISH-SWEET SOUR TAUPAU WITH CUCUMBER AND PINEAPPLE

This dish was prepared several days ago for ancestor veneration. It is good to add some meatless dishes for the such occasions where most dishes prepared are meaty dishes such as curry chicken, meat rolls, braised pork, chicken soup etc.  Though meatless, it can be appetising and yummy, too.  This dish tastes sweet and sour, while the cucumber slices are crunchy.  The pineapples when fried  tastes sweet adding natural sweetness to the dish, too.

I loved the taupau pieces which have soaked up sweet sour sauce, crunchy cucumber slices and sweet pineapples.  This dish is not savoury.

You can reduce this portion to half or a third if cooking for a few people.

Ingredients

1 packet frozen fresh beancurd skin [9-10 pieces] - thaw and fried until golden brown

2 medium size cucumber - quartered lengthwise/seeds removed/cut small pieces slantwise or short strips

1 small pineapple - cut flesh into strips

1 small red carrot - peeled, cut sections and strips

a handful of black fungus - soaked and break into small pieces

some toasted sesame seeds for garnishing

Seasoning [combined]

6 tbsp sugar

6 tbsp white vinegar

6 tbsp tomato sauce

270-300 ml water

1. Prepare the ingredients as mentioned above.
2. Cut fried beancurd skin into 4 or 6 pieces [depending on the size of each piece].
3. Season cucumber with some salt, leave to rest for 10 minutes.  Squeezed out excess water, quickly rinse under running water in a colander. Set aside.
4. Combine the seasoning ingredients in a bowl, gradually add in water.  Tastes to adjust seasoning.
5. Heat some oil in a non stick wok, fry pineapples for awhile or until the juices are almost dried up before adding carrots.  Stir to mix, then add in black fungus. Stir for a while to mix well and allow ingredients to cook through. 
6. Add in cucumber.  Continue to fry until ingredients are cooked through.  
7. Lastly, add in fried beancurd skin.  Stir lightly to mix well or until all ingredients are well heated and cooked.
8. Dish up into a big bowl.
9. Using the same wok, pour in combined seasoning sauce.  Bring to boil until bubbly and sugar dissolves.  You can taste to adjust seasoning again according to own preference.
10. Scoop sauce over fried ingredients.  Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
11. This dish can be served hot or cold with rice.

MEATLESS DISH - FIRM BEANCURD WITH MUSHROOMS

Economical meatless dish, simple and easy to prepare. Light, tasty dish to savour with rice. Perhaps, for some people, just this dish with rice will suffice for an easy meal at home. A dish suitable for the young and old. Almost all the ingredients are easily available in the home kitchen.

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

2 pieces firm beancurd [taukwa] - cut 1 cm thick slices

4 canned button mushrooms - cut slices

2 dried mushrooms - soaked and cut slices

several florets black fungus - soaked and cut or keep whole

some sliced red carrots

some spring onions - cut sections

150-200 ml water

some cornstarch water for thickening [optional]

Seasoning

1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

1/4 tsp mushroom stock granules

1/4 tsp salt to taste

several dashes of pepper

1 tsp cooking wine [optional]

1. Prepare the ingredients as abovementioned.
2. Heat some oil in a non stick wok, pan fried firm beancurd until golden brown on both sides.  Push aside.
3. Add in dried mushrooms to fry for awhile, then add in button mushrooms, carrots and black fungus.  Stir fry for awhile, then mix with the fried beancurd.
4. Add in water, lower heat while you add in the seasoning.  Bring to boil, taste to adjust seasoning according to own preference.
5. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes, then add in cornstarch water to thicken [can omit if you like to have some gravy].  Lastly, throw in the spring onions, give it a good stir.
6. Dish up to serve.

MALAYSIAN LOCKDOWN MEALS [14]

I am sharing another dish with only a few ingredients but both are awesome. Dish 21 is a vegetarian dish which is savoury with a tinge of sweet and sourish tastes that is appetising. Gives flavour to the fried ingredients tempe, firm beancurd and Ladies' fingers. Aromatic with the use of curry leaves. 

Dish 21 is adapted from VegePapa Youtube Video with some modifications [Here]

Dish 21 - Fried Tempe Taukwa With Curry Leaves

Ingredients

1 piece firm beancurd - cut into 1/2 cm thick slices

1 piece tempeh - cut into 1/2 cm thick slices

2-3 Ladies' fingers - sliced slantwise

1-2 sprigs curry leaves

2-3 small red and green chillies - cut small pieces

some fried grated coconut

Juice of 2 calamansi limes

Seasoning

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

2-3 tbsp water

1. Pan fry sliced Ladies' fingers until dry.  Dish up.
2. Fry beancurd pieces and tempeh separately until golden brown and slightly crispy.  Remove, set aside.
3. Remove excess oil, leaving some to saute curry leaves and small chillies until aromatic.  Add in sugar, then soy sauce and water.
4. Bring to boil.  Combine the fried ingredients with the sauce.  Continue to fry until sauce is almost dry.  Sprinkle fried grated coconut.
5. Dish up.  Drizzle in juice of calamansi limes before serving.