Also known as Buddha's Delight, this is 1 of the best vegetarian Chinese food recipes cooked during the Spring Festival.Delicious with just a bowl of white rice! Note: it requires a lot of specialty ingredients that you'll need to hit up the local Chinese grocery to find, such as bamboo shoots, dried beancurd and black fungus. These 45+ Chinese vegetarian recipes offer an array of options for those who prefer plant-based dishes during the festive season. Packed with flavor, tradition, and symbolism, these dishes are not only a healthier alternative but also a way to explore the richness of Chinese culinary traditions in a new, meat-free way. (Recipe by Food Lab Asia) 6. Pineapple Fried Rice Pineapple is a popular ingredient during Chinese New Year as it symbolises wealth and luck. (Recipe by Rasa Malaysia) 7. Pan-fried stuff lotus root Lotus root means abundance year after year. (Recipe by Little Corner Of Mine) 8. Nian Gao/ Lin Gou with Sweet Potato This year, we're ditching the meat and diving headfirst into a fantastic feast of 35 vegetarian Chinese New Year recipes. Forget the usual suspects, we're talking crispy spring rolls, flavorful noodles, fluffy bao buns, and sweet treats that’ll make your taste buds sing. And so I began to cook; taking the freshest of produce, the five tastes of Chinese cookery – salty, spicy, sour, sweet and bitter – and using traditional cooking techniques that, instead of Food at Chinese New Year. It’s an understatement to say that food and tradition are really important in Chinese culture. And for Chinese New Year, it’s even truer. Handmade dumplings, made by the whole family on New Year’s Eve, are just the beginning. Every dish has significance. And there are so many of them. Many families follow a vegetarian diet on the first day of Chinese New Year, a custom passed down through generations. Purification It's seen as a form of self-purification, aligning with Buddhist teachings. For many Chinese in Malaysia, it is a norm to maintain a vegetarian diet on the first day of the Chinese New Year. This tradition comes from the Buddhist teaching as a form of self-purification and to get good karma for the New Year. And then there’s the food. Typically enjoyed amongst family members, the festive meal is often the crown jewel of the Chinese New Year celebration. Traditional dishes include lots of pork, lots of chicken, and lots of luxurious seafood options, like lobster and abalone. Detailing a simple vegetarian dish people can make at home, Li suggested making a fennel and tofu filling for dumplings, as making dumplings was an essential family activity for the Lunar New Year for many Chinese. "Just mix fennel and tofu together, then add only a little bit of soy sauce and sesame oil. For many Chinese in Malaysia, it is a norm to maintain a vegetarian diet on the first day of the Chinese New Year. This tradition comes from the Buddhist teaching as a form of self-purification and to get good karma for the New Year. Green is a color associated with wealth and currency, so leafy greens like lettuce, spinach and bok choy are often served as a Chinese New Year food. During Chinese New Year, these foods are often included in stir fry, soups, spring rolls and salads. The hope is some of that promised prosperity will manifest in your new year. 6. Dumplings Lunar New Year Sides Spicy Cucumber Salad. Make a fresh and crunchy Spicy Cucumber Salad with garlicky maple soy dressing for an easy no-cook vegan side dish. This piquant and refreshing cucumber salad is a mix between a classic Taiwanese and a Korean-style cucumber side dish. Most Americans consider January 1 the start of the new year, but many Asians and Asian-Americans don’t. Instead, they follow Lunar New Year, also referred to as Chinese New Year in the U.S., which begins on January 29, 2025. (That’s the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, BTW.) List created to help find stores open during the festive period. The list was compiled by Jimmy Seah, a Happycow ambassador who regularly leaves reviews about vegetarian food in Singapore on the Chinese New Year Set Menu 2025 蛇年新春吉祥菜单 Explore our Chef’s special set menu prepared with special ingredients such Morel Mushroom, Agaricus Blazei Murrill Mushroom, Sea Bird Nest, Premium Flower Shiitake, and a number of NVD handmade specialty! Food courts are good alternatives for families looking for restaurants open during Chinese New Year. They offer a variety of options and you can find a food court nearby wherever you may be in Singapore. Food Republic. Selected Food Republic food courts are open on Day 1 and Day 2 of Chinese New Year 2025. They include: 313@Somerset ION Orchard NEX One of the most popular holidays on the planet, Lunar New Year marks the start of a new year based on the moon-focused calendar. Lunar New Year celebrations are particularly popular in cultures across East and Southeast Asia and in modern times are often celebrated with festivals, house cleaning and decorating, gift giving, gathering with family, and, of course, traditional Lunar New Year food. Vegetarian food can include mock meat as well as vegetables. 3. Noodles: Longevity. Noodles aren’t only a staple of Chinese cuisine, they also have the symbolism of long life.This has secured them a key spot on a traditional Chinese New Year food list. 6. Chinese New Year Candies Source: Kerry Hotel. Food is an inseparable part of every Chinese New Year. Discover what to eat during the holiday, the dishes that are must-haves, and the specialties!
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