MIXED VEGETABLES MONK - STYLE

Ingredients:
Dried bean curd sticks - 50 gms
Fresh lotus root - 115 gms or
Dried - 50 gms
Dried wood ears - 10 gms
Dried Chinese mushroom - 8
Vegetable oil- 1 tbsp
Straw mushrooms - 75 gms (canned and drained)
Baby corn cobs - 115 gms (cut in half)
Light soy sauce- 30 ml
Chinese rice wine - 1 tbsp
Castor sugar - 2 tsp
Vegetable stock - 150 ml
Mangetouts - 75 gms (trimmed and cut in half)
Cornflour - 1 tsp
Water -  1 tbsp
Salt

Method:

• Put the bean curd sticks in a bowl. Cover with hot water and set aside to soak for one hour. If using fresh lotus root, peel and slice it. If using dried lotus root, place it in a bowl of hot water and set aside to soak for one hour.
• Soak the wood ears and dried mushrooms in separate bowls of hot water for 15 minutes. Drain the wood ears, discard the hard bases and cut the rest into bite-size pieces. Drain the mushrooms, trim off and discard the hard stems and chop the caps roughly.
• Drain the bean curd sticks. Cut them into 5 cm long pieces, discarding any hard pieces. If using dried lotus root, drain well.
• Heat the oil in a preheated wok or frying pan. Add the wood ears, Chinese mushrooms and lotus root and stir fry for about 30 seconds.
• Add the pieces of bean curd sticks,straw mushrooms, baby corn cobs,soy sauce,rice wine,castor sugar and stock.
• Bring to the boil,cover,lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the mangetouts and season to taste with salt.
• Mix together the cornflour and water to a smooth paste. Add the mixture to the wok and cook, stirring constantly,until the sauce thickens.
• serve immediately.