 |
| Wood ear mushroom and cucumber salad |
Sometimes I have cravings and lately I’ve longed for mushrooms of all kinds! Hence my contribution about the production of snow fungus dessert and now this wood ear mushroom salad.
This is a super simple salad that can be made in 5 minutes and fits well with rice or even as a starter.
Wood ear salad
- A handful of dried wood ear mushroom, soaked until it is soft – drain well
- Half a cucumber was washed and hacked into pieces
- A tablespoon of sesame seeds, roasted
- 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 Bird’s Eye Chili, chopped
Combine everything in a bowl. Mix well and let it rest in the fridge for 10 minutes. Serve cold.
Advantages of wood ear fungal
Auricularia Polytricha – this is your scientific name – is usually dried and you have to restore it by soaking in water before using it. It has a crispy texture and helps people with high blood pressure or cancer at the same time coronary heart diseases and arteriosclerosis. It is a good copper source, important for heart health and lung function.
It can be used in pan dishes, and I would normally use it to cook my “Loh Hon Chye”, a vegetarian dish made from dried-based poles, Napa cabbage, wood ear fungus, button fungus and mung beans micelli with fermented red bean curd. I would also use this if I do my braised chicken with fermented red bean curd, which is such a delicious dish!
Wood ear fungus is also used popularly to produce “Kerabu”, a similarly spicy salad that is very loved by Malaysier. It is also used to make Chinese hot and acid soup. Because it is so boring, it can be used in most dishes.
Fresh wooden ear mushroom
Yes, you can also get freshness if you are too difficult to buy. You will find them in the chilled section in which vegetables and mushrooms are sold. Use them within the week.
