Recipe: Hakka Lui Cha

Special dish with a unique combination tailored only for veggie lovers and tea aficionados. However, if you are curious, go ahead and try out this dish and we promise you it will be sure to leave you refreshed and maybe, in love!

Lui Cha translated directly into English, is called “thunder tea rice”. As suggested by the title of this page, this speciality has its roots in Hakka origin and some even dated it back to Qin dynasty.

It is essentially a mixture of different vegetables coupled with homemade tea soup. Sounds simple? The complexity of this speciality’s taste will leave you spellbound!

Ingredients (4-6 Servings):

(Tea Soup)

• 50 grams of Thai basil leaves
• 30 grams of mint leaves
• 30 grams of coriander leaves
• 50 grams of roasted peanuts
• 20 grams of peeled garlic
• 1 tbsp of sesame seeds
• 1 tsp of tea leaves
• 1 tsp of salt (be adjusted until desired taste suffice)
• 2 cups of boiled hot water

(Toppings)

• 200 grams of tofu (tau kwa)
• 100 grams of radish (chai po)
• 50 grams of dried shrimps
• Cooking oil

(Vegetables)

• 100 grams of sliced leeks
• 100 grams of mustard greens
• 100 grams of spinach
• 100 grams of sweet preserved turnip (chye sim)
• 70 grams of carrot (peeled and shredded)
• 70 grams of cabbage (shredded)

Directions:

(Tea Soup)

1. Add all the ingredients for making tea soup into a food mixture.
2. Mix evenly and then add water.
3. Stir the mixture to create a smooth paste.
4. Add salt to taste. Set aside.

(Toppings)

1. Add cooking oil into the wok. Heat it up and then add garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
2. Add dried shrimps and fry for around 5 minutes. Once cooked, set aside.
3. Mix chai po and tau kwa pieces into the wok. Stir fry for another 5 minutes. Set aside.

(Vegetables)

1. Add cooking oil into wok and heat it.
2. Stir fry all the vegetables individually and then cast aside.
3. Season with salt to adjust the taste.
4. Replace or add cooking oil when necessary.

Serving:

1. Cast all the cooked vegetable onto plates.
2. Serve the meal with steamed rice.
3. Pour the tea soup over your rice before dining.

Note: Do note that you can mix the vegetables if you don’t mind the messiness.