Four Happiness Braised Lion’s Head

Braised lion’s head brings the meaning of Fu (Prosperity), Lu (Status), Shou (Longevity) and Xi (Happiness), and is one of the main dishes savoured during festive celebrations. This coming Chinese New Year, amaze your family and relatives with this vegetarian-friendly braised lion’s head served on the reunion dinner table!

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 -5 balls
 

Ingredients:

Lion’s head
• 1 block (around 300g) hard tofu, water removed & crumbled
• 3 pieces Biogreen Organic Flower Mushrooms, soaked & minced
• 60g carrot, diced
• 50g black fungus, soaked & minced
• 50g Chinese water chestnut, diced
• 1 tbsp Etblisse Organic Ginger Syrup
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 3  tsp vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp Biogreen G Seasoning Powder
• ½ tsp Chinese five spices
• 1 scoop  Biogreen BG100 Organic Oat Bran Powder
• 1 tbsp Etblisse Organic Black Chia Seeds
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp potato starch
• Some plain flour for coating purpose

Braised sauce
• 1 stalk scallion, cut into shorter piece
• 3-4 slices ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 star anise
• 1 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp organic cane sugar
• 4 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• Some potato starch for thickening purpose

Decoration
• Baby bok choy
 

Cooking Instructions:
1. Add 3 tbsp and 2 tbsp water into chia seed and oat bran powder respectively, stir well and let them sit aside for 5 minutes.
2. Combine all the ingredients for lion head together in a bowl and form into 4-5 balls.
3. Coat the balls with plain flour, deep fry in hot oil until golden colour and set them aside.
4. Heat oil in another pan, toss in scallions and ginger and stir fry until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5-10 minutes. Dunk in the fried lion’s head into the liquid and cook for another 25 minutes until the liquid has been reduced.
5. Thicken the sauce with potato starch before serving.
 

Health Tips:
♥ This vegetarian-style braised lion head is made from tofu instead of pork or meat analogue, which makes it a healthier version. Besides, the added carrot and water chestnut give it a refreshing and crisp mouthfeel, aside from the colourful appearance.
♥ Biogreen BG100 Organic Oat Bran Powder and Etblisse Organic Black Chia Seeds act as binding agent to bind the ingredients, in replacement of eggs. Both ingredients add value to this dish by delivering more fibre, vitamin B complex and minerals, and cuts off undesirable animal fats.