Dou Dou (豆豆)
This classic Taiwanese soul-food stir-fry swaps the usual pressed tofu for crisp, golden potato shreds that soak up all the salty, tangy flavour of snow cabbage — and this version is 100% vegan.
這道家喻戶曉的台灣家常菜，把常見的豆乾換成金黃香脆的馬鈴薯絲，吸收了雪裡紅鹹香的滋味，而且全素最對味！
📹 Watch the Recipe
Recipe by 野菜鹿鹿 Veggie Deer — a Taiwanese vegan cooking channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WId-IUCweG8
🥘 Why This Recipe Works
Snow cabbage (雪裡紅) — pickled, salty, and packed with umami — has been a beloved dim-sum and home-cooking staple across Taiwan and southern China for generations. It is traditionally wok-fried with pressed tofu, but here bright, starchy potato shreds take the spotlight. Because potatoes absorb oil and sauce so beautifully, every strand ends up coated in the pickle’s gentle tang, so a single bite tastes like the whole dish melts together. It also doubles as a cold side dish, making it wonderfully versatile.
What makes this recipe so clever is that it relies entirely on natural saltiness and umami — from the snow cabbage, the crispy dried radish (菜脯), and a whisper of soy sauce — so even though it looks lightly seasoned, it is satisfyingly savoury. It is the kind of humble, warming dish you pile over steaming white rice after a long day.
Four ingredients, one wok, and about twenty minutes — you will be amazed at how a simple pickle and a humble potato can bloom into something this delicious.
🛒 Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Potato 馬鈴薯 | 2–3 medium | peeled, cut into fine shreds |
| Snow cabbage (pickled mustard greens) 雪裡紅 | 1 packet (about 200 g) | rinsed and squeezed dry |
| Dried radish (cai-po) 菜脯 | 2 tbsp | rinsed, squeezed dry; low-sodium kind is fine |
| Old ginger 老薑 | a small knob | cut into fine shreds |
| Fresh chili 辣椒 | 1–2 | minced; adjust to taste |
| Cilantro 香菜 | a small bunch | minced |
| White sesame seeds 白芝麻 | 1 tsp | for garnish |
| Soy sauce 醬油 | 1 tsp | just a little, see tips |
| Sugar 糖 | ½ tsp | balances the saltiness |
| White pepper 白胡椒粉 | a pinch | optional |
| Neutral oil 油 | 1–2 tbsp | for stir-frying |
👨🍳 Instructions
- Prep the snow cabbage
- Rinse the store-bought snow cabbage under cold water, then firmly squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
- Set it aside — less moisture means faster, crispier stir-frying.
- Prep the potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and grate or finely slice them into shreds.
- Soak the shreds in water for a few minutes to wash away excess starch, then drain well.
- Soaking keeps the potato strands crisp instead of gluey when cooked.
- Prep the aromatics
- Cut the ginger into fine shreds, mince the chili, and mince the cilantro.
- If your dried radish is very salty, soak it in water about 5 minutes, then squeeze it dry.
- Bloom the aromatics
- Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add oil.
- Add the ginger, dried radish, and chili; stir-fry until fragrant and the ginger curls slightly.
- Cook the potatoes
- Add the potato shreds and stir-fry until they turn semi-transparent and smell nutty.
- Add the snow cabbage and continue stir-frying until its aroma fills the wok.
- Season and finish
- Season with a little soy sauce, sugar, and a pinch of white pepper.
- Toss the cilantro and sesame seeds through, give it one last stir, then remove from heat and serve.
💡 Tips & Substitutions
| Problem / Question | Fix / Answer |
|---|---|
| My snow cabbage is extremely salty | Soak it in water 5–10 minutes, then squeeze dry before cooking. Taste as you go and hold back on soy sauce. |
| I don’t have dried radish (cai-po) | It’s optional — the dish still works without it. It adds crunch and extra umami, so add it if you can find it. |
| Can I use cooked/leftover potatoes or a different veg? | Starchy potato shreds are key; swap work-arounds like green beans won’t absorb the sauce the same way. Stick with potato. |
| Want more heat or a classic twist? | Add dried chilies or a few Sichuan peppercorns for a ma-la kick, or swap in fried bean-curd sheets (豆乾) for the classic Taiwan pairing. |
| Is this gluten-free? | Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free and soy-free options can be made by using tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. |
📊 Nutrition
Per serving (about ⅓ of the dish): ~210 calories, 5 g protein, 32 g carbs, 7 g fat, 6 g fiber — a light yet filling all-vegetable main that is naturally vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
Method
- Rinse the store-bought snow cabbage under cold water, then firmly squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Set it aside — less moisture means faster, crispier stir-frying.
- Peel the potatoes and grate or finely slice them into shreds. Soak the shreds in water for a few minutes to wash away excess starch, then drain well. Soaking keeps the potato strands crisp instead of gluey when cooked.
- Cut the ginger into fine shreds, mince the chili, and mince the cilantro. If your dried radish is very salty, soak it in water about 5 minutes, then squeeze it dry.
- Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add oil. Add the ginger, dried radish, and chili; stir-fry until fragrant and the ginger curls slightly.
- Add the potato shreds and stir-fry until they turn semi-transparent and smell nutty. Add the snow cabbage and continue stir-frying until its aroma fills the wok.
- Season with a little soy sauce, sugar, and a pinch of white pepper. Toss the cilantro and sesame seeds through, give it one last stir, then remove from heat and serve.
Notes
🌱 Why This Dish
In Taiwan and across the Cantonese provinces, snow cabbage (雪裡紅, literally “red in the snow”) is a form of pickled leaf mustard prized for its bright, slightly tangy saltiness. It has deep roots in Buddhist temple cooking, where preserved vegetables were used to bring savoury depth to meat-free meals — exactly how it shines here in a wok with potato. The Chinese name evokes the crimson-touched greens that used to be buried under snow in winter to keep. Because it stores well, it became a staple in monastic kitchens and humble homes alike, and today it appears in noodle shops and dim-sum carts from Taipei to Hong Kong.
