Last week for the Lunar New Year, I made Buddhist’s Delight also known as Buddha’s Delight, Vegetarian’s Delight or in Chinese, jai.
It’s a traditional vegetarian dish served on the first day to bring success and prosperity into the new year. Each family has its own variation but generally it includes a mix of dried and fresh ingredients symbolizing wealth and luck. Things such as:
- Chinese dried black mushrooms
- dried cloud ears
- dried lily bulbs
- cellophane noodles
- shredded fresh bean curd sheet
- fried tofu puffs
- sliced napa cabbage
- sliced carrots
- ginger
Seems like a lot of stuff, but once you’re done with the soaking of the dried ingredients and the cutting, everything comes together fairly quickly.
So quickly in fact, that I didn’t really get down the recipe. But I will next time. Buddhist’s Delight or a variation of it can be served any ol’ time, it’s not just reserved for new year’s day.
I always thought it was funny that the custom is to feast on new year’s eve then have this one vegetarian dish on new year’s day (sorta like a cleansing thing) and then it’s back to feasting the following day.
Happy feasting in the Lunar New Year!
CW says
Happy New Year!
This is always my favourite dish every New Year.
VeganKorean says
Gorgeous!
Chuck says
OK, it looks beautiful, but I haven’t heard of half of those ingredients before lol. What the heck is dried cloud ears? lol.
I bet it all tastes good! I think that is what I love about food. You can always learn something new.
Veggie Wedgie says
This looks good!
lisa (show me vegan) says
Mmm…I bet this tastes amazing!
steph says
ahaha, not one of my favourites but definitely one of those things you have to have. :o)
Heikki says
Looks delicious and beautiful!
miss v says
wow. that looks really good!
chow says
CW – My favorite too!
VeganKorean – Thanks!
Chuck – Dried cloud ears is a jelly fungi. It’s a dark colored mushroom that looks like ears growing on trees. It doesn’t really have much of a taste, it’s more of a texture thing. Yup, I’m always learning about and trying new foods.
Veggie Wedgie – Thank you!
lisa (show me vegan) – I think it’s the many different ingredients that makes it so good.
steph – Totally a must have for new years day!
Heikki – Thank you!
miss v – Thanks!
Vegiegail says
Looks spectacular! Recipe, please!!!
crystal says
This is my favourite dish :) In fact, this dish is full of goodness, all the ingredients like mushroom, fungus, dried lily bulb are full of nutritients (iron … etc).
BTW, I tried out your suggestion of using fremented beancurd for zucchini. The first time I did, the photo didn’t turn out right. I tried a second time, going to post soon. Nice and thank you so much.
Cheers :)
chow says
Vegiegail – Thanks, recipe is going up next time I make the dish.
crystal – Glad to hear it’s full of good stuff! Extra glad you liked the fermented beancurd with zucchini. Looking forward to seeing your post. :-)
dreaminitvegan says
So fresh looking!