Four Happiness Wheat Gluten - The Taste of Home During the New Year
During the New Year, it's indispensable for Shanghainese and Ningbonese families to have Four Happiness Wheat Gluten, which is tender, sweet, fragrant, and auspicious. Wheat gluten (kaofu in Chinese) is not a soybean product. It resembles a sponge and is made by grinding whole wheat into flour, kneading and washing it in water to separate the gluten, which is then fermented and steamed to perfection. The 'Four Happiness' refers to: shiitake mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, black fungus, and dried lily flowers. To enhance texture, crispy fried peanuts are also added. The dish is soy-sauce red, rich and aromatic, sweet and savory, nutritious, and delicious. It's great whether paired with rice or noodles. In my father-in-law's hometown of Ningbo, there's an old saying: 'Wheat gluten, wheat gluten, slowly supports your husband firmly,' symbolizing good fortune and an auspicious New Year's dish. Haha~
Ingredients
Steps
1) Prepare all the ingredients for making Four Happiness Wheat Gluten: First, cut the wheat gluten into small blocks about 2 cm in size. Boil them in cold water (this process will expand the texture of the wheat gluten). Once boiled, remove them and gently rinse with cold water while lightly squeezing to remove acidity. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper for later use.
2) Soak the dried lily flowers in cold water for two hours, then squeeze out the water and fully pat dry with kitchen paper. Tie them into small knots to prevent untangling during cooking!
3) Prepare the rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms, black fungus, and cut the winter bamboo shoots into pieces.
4) Prepped wheat gluten.
5) Begin cooking: Fry the wheat gluten first: Heat oil in a small pot to about 60% hot, then slowly add the wheat gluten pieces. Fry until golden and set aside.
6) In a hot pan with oil, sauté the bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms, then add the fried wheat gluten. Stir in light soy sauce, sugar, dark soy sauce, star anise, and bay leaves, and continue to stir-fry.
7) Once the wheat gluten absorbs the sauce color, add a suitable amount of warm water and simmer on low-medium heat for a while. When the sauce is almost reduced, add the lily flowers.
8) When the sauce nearly dries up, add sesame oil, mix in the fried peanuts, stir-fry briefly, and plate the dish. Sprinkle a few additional peanuts on top for garnish.