This recipe has been adapted from my vegetarian buddhist cooking classes. Although this was a little unorganised, the concept was learnt with the two recipes.

This one is pretty simple, although some ingredients may be difficult to find. Visit your local Asian supermarket for assistance.

One such ingredient is called “Red Medlar,” this was also called “Lycium.” Lycium is a berry almost like a sultana, however it’s not sweet. It has a very unique and pungent after taste, so you don’t need to add to many to your dishes. Apparently, it’s very good for the eyes, used in Chinese medicine.

Mushroom seasoning is also required, and although I found a version of this, it didn’t really match the intense smell with the one used at the class. On smell, you should be hit with the ginger, almost to the point where you tear up. It is quite intense, but most mushroom seasonings I found didn’t match and I ended up adding some crushed ginger to intensify the flavour.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Enoki mushrooms 150 gram pack
• Dry Shitake mushrooms 1-2 handfuls
• Swiss Brown mushrooms125 grams, sliced thinly
• Straw mushrooms, 1/2 a 425 gram can, sliced in half
• 2 tbs mushroom seasoning
• pinch salt and pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp crushed ginger
• 2 tbs red medlar/lycium
• 6 cups water (minimum)
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Boil the shitake, ginger and seasoning in the six cups of water
2. Once the colour of the water has changed, add the other mushrooms and salt.
3. Stir occasionally, adding the red medlar.
4. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add sesame oil and stir.
6. The class added 3 tbs celery leaves diced, but I think coriander would certainly be ideal. Or, like me, add the ground coriander.