Ingredients
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tablespoons oil
1 green capsicum (pepper), diced
125 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable stock
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
Method
- Sift the flour into a bowl with the salt and gradually add 560 ml (2 1/4 cups) warm water to make a dough. knead until smooth, then cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 55-60 minutes.
- Rinse the dough under cold water and wash off all the starch by pulling, stretching and squeezing the dough with your hands. You should have about 300 g (10 1/2 oz) gluten after 10-15 minutes of washing and squeezing. Extract as much water as you can by squeezing the dough hard, then cut the dough into bite size pieces. Dry thoroughly.
- Toss the gluten in 1 tablespoon of the cornflour. Heat a wok over high heat, add the oil and heat until very hot. Quickly stir-fry the gluten until it is browned all over, then remove from the wok. Stir-fry the capsicum until it starts to brown around the edges, then remove. Pour off any excess oil.
- Add the stock, soy sauce, rice wine and sugar to the wok and bring to the boil. Return the gluten and capsicum and simmer for 1 minute.
- Combine the remaining cornflour with enough water to make a paste, add to the sauce and simmer until thickened. Sprinkle with the sesame oil and serve.
