10hydrated wood ear mushroom , cut into small shreds
2fresh shiitake mushroom , cut into slices
4oyster mushrooms , thinly sliced and then shredded
2cups water
2tbsp.light soy sauce
1tbsp.dark soy sauce
1tbsp.cornstarch , whisked with 2 tablespoons of water
salt and pepper to taste
1egg
salt if necessary , note 1
Instructions
How to make tofu pudding| Tao Fu Hua
Wash the soy beans and then soak the soy beans overnight until softened. Transfer to a blender and add water. Blend until very smooth.
Place a gauze on a strainer and then strain the soy milk. Bring the soy milk to a boil. Watch carefully since it overflows easily. Skin off the bubbles on the surface. Remove from heat and rest for 2 minutes until the temperature drops around 80 degree C to 90 degree C.
Whisk GDL with water in a small bowl (read the instructions on the package for the detailed amount). Gently stir the GDL water in the soy milk. Then rest for 15 to 20 minutes until firms.
How to serve| Sweet version
Option 1: Serve with white sugar directly
Option 2: Simmer brown sugar with ginger slices for 5 minutes and drizzle the syrup with tofu pudding.
How to serve |Northern Version
Add some oil in pan and fry pork belly until slightly browned. Add wood ear mushroom, oyster mushroom and shiitake mushroom. Fry until soft.
Add around 2 cups of water, soy sauce (dark soy sauce and light soy sauce). Place cornstarch water in and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce is almost thickened.
Drizzle egg liquid in. Continue cooking until well combined. Add salt if necessary. Top the gravy with tofu pudding.
How to serve |Sichuan Style
To make ginger and garlic water | add 1/2 cup hot water into 1 tablespoon of minced ginger and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. Set until cool down.
Fry soaked soy beans with cold oil until golden brown. You can simply replace this with toasted peanuts or other crispy nuts.
How to assemble| add chopped Zha Cai, light soy sauce, chili oil, garlic ginger water, spring onion and coriander. Serve hot.
Notes
You can test the gravy and see whether a pinch of salt is needed (mostly based on the saltness of the soy sauce and your own taste preference).