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Ruyi cai (soybean sprout stir-fry)
Golden-headed soybean sprouts tossed with tofu skin and shiitake for a lucky Shanghai New Year side
A curled soybean sprout, with its fat yellow head and long tail, looks just like the ruyi sceptre whose name means 'as you wish', so in Shanghai and the Jiangnan region no Spring Festival table is complete without a dish of ruyi cai. It is the gentle, crunchy counterweight to the braised pork and fish of the reunion dinner: nutty sprouts, chewy strips of tofu skin and meaty shiitake in a light soy glaze. Many families cook a big batch on New Year's Eve and eat it cold for days. Serve it with rice, alongside red-braised dishes or as part of a vegetarian New Year spread. Chef's tip: cook the sprouts until the beany raw taste is gone; undercooked soybean sprouts taste grassy and are hard to digest.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz soybean sproutsrinsed, any loose husks removed
- 4 oz fresh or frozen tofu skin (yuba)thawed, cut into 1 cm strips
- 6 fresh shiitake mushroomsstems removed, sliced
- ⅓ oz fresh gingercut into fine matchsticks
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 spring onion (optional)finely sliced
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a wok over a high heat until it shimmers, then fry ⅓ oz fresh ginger for 20 seconds until fragrant.
1 minStep 2: Add 14 oz soybean sprouts and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the heads turn bright yellow and the stems start to wilt.
3 minStep 3: Add 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms and 4 oz fresh or frozen tofu skin (yuba) and toss for 2 minutes, until the mushrooms soften.
2 minStep 4: Pour in 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ cup water, cover and cook over a medium heat for 6 minutes. Common mistake: lifting it off the heat too soon; taste a sprout, it should be crunchy but nutty, with no raw, beany flavour.
6 minStep 5: Uncover and stir over a high heat for 1–2 minutes, until almost all the liquid has gone and everything looks glossy. Drizzle with 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, scatter with 1 spring onion and serve hot or cold.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ruyi cai (soybean sprout stir-fry) take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of fresh shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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Perfect for:Lunar New Year