Southern Fermented Bean Curd Vegetables — 南乳粗齋

《粗齋》沒有山珍海味，卻憑一鍋南乳和幾樣乾貨，把樸素食材燉成節慶餐桌上的主角。This timeless Cantonese festive stew transforms a handful of dried pantry staples into a rich, glossy, no-meat centerpiece.

📹 Watch the Recipe

Full demonstration from 素食教煮 Veggie So Easy:

🥘 Why This Recipe Works

南乳粗齋 (nam yu sau jai) is one of Cantonese vegetarian cooking’s greatest achievements. It starts with the star — 南乳, a block of fermented red bean curd whose deep, savory, faintly sweet character anchors the entire dish. Fry it briefly and the whole kitchen fills with that unmistakable, mildly funky fragrance.

The dried goods do the heavy lifting: 木耳 wood ear adds a crisp bite, 金針 lily flowers bring a delicate chew, 枝竹 bean curd sticks drink up the sauce like little sponges, and 粉絲 vermicelli binds everything into one glossy whole. Braised together in a single wok, every mouthful carries the same rich, fermented, gravy-soaked flavor.

11 pantry ingredients, one wok, and about 30 minutes take you from soaked dried goods to a holiday-worthy dinner that makes a simple bowl of rice feel special.

🛒 Ingredients

👨‍🍳 Instructions

Step 1 · Soak the dried goodies

• Cover the dried mushrooms, wood ear, lily flowers, bean curd sticks, and vermicelli separately in cold water for 30–40 minutes.
• Drain and squeeze dry. Slice the mushrooms, trim the wood ear into bite-sized pieces, and cut the bean curd sticks into 5–6 cm lengths.
• Strain and reserve the mushroom soaking water — it becomes the braising liquid.

Step 2 · Mash the fermented bean curd

• In a small bowl, mash the nam yu cubes with their liquid into a smooth paste.
• Loosen with a spoonful of the reserved mushroom water so it stirs easily.

Step 3 · Fry the aromatics and nam yu

• Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and stir the ginger slices until fragrant.
• Add the mashed nam yu and stir-fry about 30 seconds, until it turns glossy and the kitchen smells deeply savory.

Step 4 · Add the vegetables

• Add the soaked mushrooms, wood ear, carrot, and chopped cabbage.
• Stir-fry 2–3 minutes so everything is coated and glossy, then season with the soy sauce.

Step 5 · Braise in mushroom water

• Pour in about 2 cups of strained mushroom soaking liquid (top up with water to nearly cover).
• Add the rock sugar, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and braise 8–10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the gravy is rich.

Step 6 · Finish with vermicelli

• Add the soaked bean curd sticks and vermicelli, stirring to submerge them in the gravy.
• Cook 2–3 minutes until the vermicelli is springy and has thickened the sauce.
• Drizzle with sesame oil, toss once, and serve hot over rice.

💡 Tips & Substitutions

📊 Nutrition

Per serving (approx.): ~210 kcal · 8 g protein · 11 g fat · 24 g carbohydrates.

Dou Dou (豆豆)

Southern Fermented Bean Curd Vegetables — 南乳粗齋

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cantonese

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 2 cubes fermented red bean curd (南乳) lightly mashed
• 1 tbsp red fermented bean curd liquid (南乳汁)
• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms (冬菇) soaked, sliced
• 1 cup soaked dried wood ear mushrooms (木耳) trimmed
• 8-10 dried lily flowers (金針) soaked
• 2 sheets dried bean curd sticks (枝竹/腐竹) soaked, cut
• 1 bundle small mung bean vermicelli (粉絲) soaked
• 4 cups chopped napa cabbage / Chinese leaf (黃芽白) bulk of dish
• 1 carrot (紅蘿蔔) sliced
• 4 slices ginger (薑) aromatics
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce (生抽)
• 1 tsp rock sugar (冰糖)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (麻油) to finish
• 1 tbsp cooking oil (食用油)

Method

 

1. Cover the dried mushrooms, wood ear, lily flowers, bean curd sticks, and vermicelli separately in cold water for 30-40 minutes. Drain, squeeze dry, slice mushrooms, trim wood ear, and cut bean curd sticks into 5-6 cm lengths. Strain and reserve the mushroom soaking water for the braise.
2. In a small bowl, mash the nam yu cubes with their liquid into a smooth paste, loosening with a spoonful of reserved mushroom water.
3. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat and stir the ginger until fragrant. Add the mashed nam yu and stir-fry 30 seconds until glossy and deeply savory.
4. Add the soaked mushrooms, wood ear, carrot, and chopped cabbage. Stir-fry 2-3 minutes to coat, then season with the soy sauce.
5. Pour in about 2 cups of strained mushroom soaking liquid, top up with water if needed to nearly cover. Add rock sugar, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and braise 8-10 minutes until tender and glossy.
6. Add the soaked bean curd sticks and vermicelli, submerging them in the gravy. Cook 2-3 minutes until springy and the sauce thickens. Drizzle with sesame oil, toss once, and serve hot over rice.

🌱 Why This Dish

《齋》(zhāi) literally means vegetarian or fasting — the mindful, meat-free food eaten during Buddhist vegetarian observance (素食). 粗齋 is the everyday family pot enjoyed on the 1st and 15th of each lunar month (初一十五) and especially during Lunar New Year, when starting the year with vegetables is said to bring a clean and auspicious beginning.

The 南乳 (southern fermented red bean curd) points to its Cantonese (南) roots. A beloved “temple dish,” it has long been served at monasteries and festive Buddhist gatherings across southern China and Hong Kong — living proof that a table needs no meat to be generous.

Because every ingredient is a dried pantry staple that keeps for months, the dish symbolizes abundance, frugality, and the remarkable resourcefulness that defines Cantonese home cooking.

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