Buddha's Delight (Lo Han Zhai Braised Vegetables)
A classic Chinese vegetarian braise of tofu puffs, mushrooms, bamboo and crisp greens in a glossy, savoury sauce.
Made with All purpose stir fry sauce and Homemade vegetable stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time40 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £2.09 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Soak the dried shiitake in 250 ml of just boiled water for 20 minutes until soft. Squeeze them out, trim the stalks and slice the caps. Keep the soaking liquid, leaving behind any grit.
20 min - 2
Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok or deep pan over a high heat. Stir fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then add the carrot, baby corn and bamboo shoots and cook for 3 minutes.
3 min 30 s - 3
Add the mushrooms and tofu puffs. Pour in your ready made vegetable stock (see the base recipe), the mushroom soaking liquid and your ready made stir fry sauce (see the base recipe). Bring to a simmer.
- 4
Add the Chinese leaf, cover and cook for 5 minutes, until the leaf is soft. Add the mangetout for the last 2 minutes.
5 min - 5
Stir the cornflour mixture, pour it in and simmer for 1 minute until the sauce turns glossy and coats the vegetables.
1 min - 6
Finish with the sesame oil and serve with steamed rice.
Tips
- Use dried shiitake and keep their soaking liquid. It adds deep flavour that fresh mushrooms do not.
- Tofu puffs are sold in Asian supermarkets. Cubes of firm tofu fried until golden are a fine substitute.
- Add the sturdy vegetables first and the soft ones last so everything is just cooked.
Storing and freezing
Cool quickly and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through. The vegetables soften a little on reheating.
Questions
Is Buddha's delight vegan?
Yes, as written. It uses vegetable stock and a vegan stir fry sauce, and some traditional versions also include fermented tofu or oyster sauce, which are not used here.
Is it gluten free?
Yes, provided the base stir fry sauce was made with gluten free tamari, as in the base recipe. Check tofu puff labels as well.
What can I swap in?
Use pak choi, broccoli, water chestnuts, lotus root or fresh oyster mushrooms in place of any vegetable here.
More made with all purpose stir fry sauce
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.