Chao He Cai (Beijing-Style Vegetarian Moo Shu, 炒合菜)
A Northern Chinese style vegetarian moo shu that uses colorful crunchy vegetables and scrambled eggs to create the best texture, served on a thin flour pancake brushed with a savory sweet sauce. It is very easy to put together and extremely satisfying to eat. Serve it as a main course for the best vegetarian dinner! {Vegetarian}
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp dried wood ear mushrooms
- Sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar ((or sugar))
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch ((Optional) (*Footnote 1))
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2+1/2 tbsp peanut oil
- 3 eggs (, beaten with a pinch of salt)
- 4 clove garlic (, finely chopped)
- 1/2 carrot (, sliced into thin strips)
- 1/2 lb (225 g) bean sprouts
- 1 pepper of your choice ((bell pepper, anaheim pepper, or hot pepper, sliced into thin strips))
- 12 stalk garlic chives (, chopped into 2” (5 cm) pieces (or 3 green onions, sliced into 2” / 5 cm sticks then halved))
- 6 to 8 Moo shu pancakes
- Sweet bean paste (, or hoisin sauce)
Instructions
- 1
Add the dried wood ear mushrooms to a small bowl and 1 cup of hot water to cover. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the wood ear mushrooms turn tender throughout. Drain the mushrooms. Remove and discard the tough ends. Cut into bite sized pieces (if needed) and set aside.
- 2
Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
- 3
Set up a steamer by adding 2” (5cm) water to the pot and bringing it to a boil.
- 4
Meanwhile, cut a piece of parchment paper, just slightly bigger than the pancakes. Cut a few small holes through the paper. Place the paper on the steaming rack, then the pancakes onto the paper.
- 5
When the water is boiling, place the steaming rack over the pot and cover. Steam for 10 minutes, or according to the package instructions, until the pancakes are hot throughout. Turn off the heat.
- 6
While the pancakes are cooking, make the stir fry. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet or wok (*Footnote 4). Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add the eggs. Let cook until the bottom is set. Slightly scramble and cut into smaller pieces until the eggs are just cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- 7
Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil and the garlic to the skillet. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
- 8
Add the carrot and wood ear mushrooms. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
- 9
Add the bean sprouts, pepper and garlic chives. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, until the vegetables are softened but still crispy.
- 10
Pour in the sauce and add back the eggs. Stir until the sauce has mixed well. Taste the vegetables. Adjust the seasoning by adding a pinch of salt, if needed. Transfer everything to a big plate.
- 11
Serve the vegetables, pancakes and the sauce. To eat, spread a thin layer of the sweet bean paste (or hoisin sauce) on the pancake, and place some vegetables in the center. Wrap up the vegetables like you’re making a burrito. Enjoy!