My mother-in-law is a traditional Chinese lady with a remarkable talent for cooking. Her dishes are usually simple, but occasionally, they can be quite lavish, especially during Chinese New Year and other special occasions. Her Loh Han Jai (Buddha’s Delight) has been a staple main dish for lunch on the first day of Chinese New Year, without fail, for many decades.

Every year, we eagerly anticipate for her Loh Hon Jai. She will prepare it in large quantities starting the day before as we observe a one-day vegetarian tradition on the first day of Chinese New Year. Besides, friends and relatives visiting will also be treated to Buddha’s Delight.

Now in her nineties, my mother-in-law has passed down the responsibility of preparing this dish to us, and we have decided to share her time-tested recipe that has spanned over seven decades. Although she does not read English, please feel free to leave a comment if you enjoy her recipe. I will gladly convey your messages to her, and I know it will make her very happy to see her recipe reaching people outside our family.

A brief explanation of the Buddha’s delight or Lo Han Jai

Buddha’s Delight (a.k.a Lo Han Jai, Loh Han Cai, Lo Han Chai, Loh Han Chai, 罗汉斋) is a delightful vegetarian dish savored by everyone during the Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year.)

Lo Han Jai 罗汉斋 is another name for Budda’s delight. (Jai, sometimes called Zhai, literally means a vegetarian meal for the Buddhist). ‘Lo Han’ is the Chinese name for the eighteen Arhats in Buddhism, which are the saints equivalent to the apostles of Christianity. Lo Han Jai means the vegetarian dish eaten by the saints.

There are eighteen ingredients in the authentic Buddha’s delight to represent eighteen Arhats (as opposed to twelve apostles).

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The main ingredients for preparing the Buddha’s delight

There are many variations sprout from the authentic recipe. Many people find it too tedious to get all the ingredients and omit some components without sacrificing the flavor. That is precisely what I have done in this recipe. While I do not intend to put all the ingredients here, I would like to take a moment to briefly explain some of the main ones for those who may not be familiar.

• Shitake mushrooms. Shiitake mushroom is used in various Chinese cuisines. The dehydrated version is far more popular than the raw one, which has a refreshing aroma. Some higher-grade dry Shiitake mushroom is called 花菇, which means ‘flower mushroom’ because there is a characteristic cracking pattern on the surface of the cap. They have a thick mushroom cap that is highly aromatic. That is why it is also termed as 香菇, which means ‘fragrance mushroom.’ You need to rehydrate the dry mushrooms for a few hours and overnight for the larger and thicker ones before cooking.
• Dry lily buds. Dry lily buds 金针 are from the lilies, with a faint earthy and sweetish taste, with a bit of tartness. The dry form has a sharp tip and is golden in color. Therefore, it is also described as ‘golden needles.’ It is a favorite ingredient to cook Buddha’s delights and the Szechuan hot and sour soup. The word golden needles also symbolizes wealth (gold), which is regularly on the menu during the lunar new year. You must rehydrate the dried lily buds before cooking, just like the dry Shiitake mushroom. The rehydrating liquid has plenty of flavors and can be used as stock to prepare the Buddha’s delight or any other dishes. (Note: The Enoki mushroom’s shape resembles a dry lily flower called 金针菇, which means ‘golden needle mushroom.’ However, they are entirely different from dry lily flowers.)

• Cabbage. Our family recipe uses the regular round cabbage instead of the Napa cabbage in other recipes. The cabbage should be cut into large pieces as they shrink after braising. The cabbage may need a few minutes of braising until it becomes soft. Soft cabbage is more flavorful after absorbing more braising liquid.
• Bean curd sheet and sticks 腐竹. The same item has many names in English: tofu skin, yuba, bean curd skin, bean curd sheet, beancurd sticks, or bean curd robes. It is a product made of soybean. When the soybean is boiled in a shallow pan, a soy film will coagulate on the surface. The films are removed and dried to become a bean curd sheet. The sheets can be folded into robes during production. The one that remains as a thin sheet works better in this recipe since it is easier to deep-fry evenly (and become more crispy) than in the form of a robe. The stick form is thicker and folded, making it harder to crackle and shatter when snapped. If you try deep-frying the stick form longer to get that shattering texture, the bean curd will be over-fried and turn dark brown. It will leave a bitter taste to the braised vegetables.
• Cellophane or mung bean vermicelli 粉絲. Mung bean vermicelli is usually made with mung beans or potato starch. They are called cellophane noodles or glass noodles because they resemble cellphones (partially transparent) after cooking. Note: It is not the same as rice vermicelli 米粉/米线 as rice vermicelli is white and not translucent.

• Fat choy (black moss) 发菜. Black moss (fatt choy) is a kind of fungi with an appearance that resembles human hair after drying. It is popular in various Lunar New Year cuisines due to the phonetic approximation, meaning making plenty of money in Chinese. Fatt Choy is not included in daily cooking as it is expensive.
• Wood ear fungus 木耳. Wood ear fungus is a kind of edible fungus usually sold in the dried form. It is also called black fungus. It swells to more than double its original size after being fully hydrated. It is a favorite ingredient for Buddha’s Delight, hot and sour soup, and various Chinese dishes due to its crunchy texture.

• Bean curd preserved 腐乳. Fermented bean curd is another English name for the same item, a Chinese condiment consisting mainly of soybeans, salt, and rice wine. There are two types of fermented bean curd: white and red. White fermented bean curd is the type we used in the recipe. We prefer the flavor of the white one for its aroma and color, and it does not affect the color of other vegetables or make them look unappetizing. The other type is the red fermented bean curd 南乳/红腐乳. I have seen some of Buddha’s delight recipes that use red preserved bean curd. The flavor is stronger than the white counterpart, and you may need to reduce the amount compared to the white one.
• Bamboo shoots  竹笋. Bamboo shoots are the last on this exotic list of ingredients (but most Chinese are familiar with them). You can get it at the chiller section of the Asian grocery shop, and some are in the can. Just remove the shoots from the brine and cut it into slices.

How to prepare Budda’s Delight (Loh Han Jai)

a. Prepare the ingredients for cooking Loh Han Jai

Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms, wood ear fungus, lily flowers, and mung bean noodles with water until fully hydrated. The wood ear fungus and dried lily flowers will soften in around ten minutes, while the mung bean noodles will take 10 to 20 minutes to soften thoroughly. The mushroom will take much longer, depending on the size and thickness. The water used to soak the mushrooms is flavorful, so please keep it and use it as part of the braising liquid to cook the vegetables later.

Tie a knot for each hydrated lily flower to enhance its presentation. This is an optional step that you can skip. Next, cut the bean curd sheet into two-inch squares.

Heat oil with a high smoking point to about 180 degrees Celsius to deep-fry the bean curd skin for 10 to 15 seconds or until it expands and forms blisters on the surface. After that, remove the excess oil by placing the fried bean curd skin on a kitchen paper towel.

Cut the softened and expanded wood ear fungus into half-inch pieces and the shiitake mushrooms into slices. Remove the stems of the mushrooms and save them for another recipe. 

Slice the carrots and bamboo shoots into thin pieces. Cut the button mushrooms in half and chop the cabbage into large pieces, approximately 1.5 inches square.

b. Braise the vegetables with the fermented bean curds

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over medium heat. Stir-fry the cabbage for five minutes or until it starts to soften. 

Next, add the shiitake mushrooms, wood ear fungus, lily flowers, carrots, and black moss. Season the vegetables with the preserved bean curd. I first mash the preserved bean curd with a fork, which helps it distribute more evenly throughout the vegetables. I also add a tablespoon of sugar to balance the flavor.

Add enough water to cover half of the vegetables when braising them. You don’t need too much water, as the vegetables contain a fair amount of moisture. I also use the water to soak the mushrooms as part of the braising liquid, as it adds a lot of flavor. Braise the vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes.

Next, place the deep-fried bean curd skin on the vegetables. To prevent sticking to the bottom of the wok, it’s important to position it on top.

Use scissors to cut the mung bean vermicelli into 4-inch lengths, then spread them on top of the bean curd skin. Continue braising the vegetables with the lid on for another five minutes or until the liquid becomes a thick gravy.

After five minutes, remove the lid and add baby corn, ginkgo nuts, and button mushrooms, which only require a brief cooking time.

Taste the Loh Hin Jai and adjust the seasoning if necessary by adding more preserved beancurd. Once done, remove from the wok and serve with steamed rice or as a standalone dish.

Guideline to select ingredients for Loh Han Jai

The type of ingredients can be changed and substituted if you are not preparing the authentic Buddha’s delights with eighteen items. There is hardly any ordinary Chinese household willing to make Buddha’s delight by using all the ingredients as it is too tedious.

Below are the guidelines for selecting the ingredients to prepare Buddha’s delight.

• Key ingredients are dry shiitake mushroom, wood ear fungus, Chinese cabbage, mung bean noodles, bean curd sheet, and white fermented bean curd. Do not omit any.
• The aromatic ingredients are dry Shiitake mushrooms and dry lily flowers. The dry Shiitake mushroom is more fragrant than the raw one. You can omit dry lily flowers if unavailable. It will not affect the final result too much.
• The crunchy vegetables are bamboo shoots and wood ear fungus, which give a crunchy mouthfeel. Use the wood ear fungus and omit the bamboo shoots to keep it simple.
• The silky vegetables are the mung bean vermicelli and the black moss. It can be challenging to get black moss outside of Asia. Omit it if it is unavailable.

Lotus seeds, ginkgo nuts, baby corn, king oyster mushrooms, fried tofu puffs, straw mushrooms, snow peas, and arrow shoots are other ingredients for Buddha’s delights. Feel free to make your list of vegetables based on what is available.

More about the fermented bean curd

Please note that the saltiness of each brand of fermented bean curd varies. Therefore, the amount specified in the recipe is a general guideline and should be adjusted based on a taste test before serving. If you are unsure about the saltiness of a brand of fermented bean curd you haven’t used before, it’s best to start with a smaller amount and add more as needed.

You can choose either the white or red version of fermented bean curd or mix both, depending on your preference. Add more fermented bean curd if you want a stronger and saltier flavor. Our family recipe uses fermented bean curd as the main seasoning and never adds any ‘Chinese’ seasoning like soy sauce, oyster sauce, or salt.