Celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 with these easy vegetarian recipes
As a third-generation Cantonese chef who grew up in the beating heart of the Chinese restaurants and takeaways owned and run by my parents and my grandfather before them, writing these recipes felt like a deliciously therapeutic trip down memory lane.
When I came to create vegetarian/vegan dishes, I was truly excited. But I was confused by the array of overseasoned and processed products that were simply pretending to be meat. And so I began to cook; taking the freshest of produce, the five tastes of Chinese cookery – salty, spicy, sour, sweet and bitter – and using traditional cooking techniques that, instead of masking the flavours, elevated them to new heights.
Whenever I’m in Hong Kong, I head to the many temples and monasteries, not only for the complete tranquillity and beauty, but also for their amazing food. Vegetarianism is one of the most important contributions that Buddhist monks have made to Chinese cuisine. Over the centuries, they have perfected the preparation of these dishes and, as most abstain from all by-products of meat, fish and eggs, many of the dishes can easily be modified to become completely vegan.
Traditional cooking methods include the quick stir-fry in a wok over a very high heat. As soon as the ingredients hit the red-hot surface, they’re sealed, locking in all the goodness, and within minutes they’re cooked. Take your time to ensure each vegetable is cut to the same size, and immerse yourself in the simple pleasure of the preparation – the cooking can be quite frantic as the wok roars, spits and smokes over the lick of the flames.
Whether you’re a devout vegan or a carnivore who enjoys a “graze on the green side”, vegetables need no longer be a mere side dish, but should be celebrated in all their glory; the world is your… cucumber!
Six simple vegetarian Chinese recipes
Mains...
Teriyaki vegetable rice bowl
Sometimes all we want is something simple to make that isn’t going to create an explosion of pots and pans to wash up afterwards. A mountain of vegetables in a rich, aromatic, velvety umami sweet chilli sauce, served over noodles or steamed rice, is just the ticket.
Hong Kong crispy noodles with mixed vegetables
The crispy noodles soften under the rich aromatic gravy flecked with garlic. The vegetables are crunchy, as they have been cooked quickly to retain their bright vibrant colours.
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Crispy tofu with spring onions
With just five basic ingredients, you really can create a dish that your family and friends will think you’ve spent days preparing. Aromatic spring onions and crispy tofu are served with a rich, tasty, fermented chilli bean sauce. This is traditional Chinese cooking at its simplest.
Asian slaw
This salad of crunchy cabbage, sweet carrots and savoury spring onions delivers on all of the five tastes of Chinese cuisine. It’s salty, spicy, sour, sweet and bitter.
Ho Chi Min fried spring rolls
These Pan-Asian rolls were my all-time favourite dish from my parents’ restaurant. Crispy rice paper stuffed with crunchy peppers, crisp beansprouts and noodles, all wrapped up in an ice-cold lettuce leaf and then dipped in chilli sauce – sheer heaven.
Purple sprouting broccoli and peanut satay sauce
Satay sauce varies from region to region; it originates from Indonesia but was widely adopted by the Chinese for their love of peanuts – this sauce has lots of them. Young tender broccoli stems are lightly steamed and smothered in a rich, spicy-sour peanut sauce.
The Veggie Chinese Takeaway Cookbook by Kwoklyn Wan is published by Hardie Grant (£15). Order your copy from books.telegraph.co.uk
