Rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 20-30 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and finely chop. Reserve the soaking liquid if desired for other uses.
Finely mince the shallots, garlic, and red chili. Rinse and mash the fermented black beans. Roughly chop the roasted peanuts.
Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped shiitake mushrooms and fry until golden brown and slightly crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add another 1/2 cup of vegetable oil to the wok. Sauté the minced shallots, garlic, and red chili over low heat until fragrant and softened, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the mashed fermented black beans and chopped peanuts to the wok. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Return the fried shiitake mushrooms to the wok. Stir in the sugar, light soy sauce, and vegetarian oyster sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until well combined and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool. The vegetarian XO sauce is ready.
Wash choy sum thoroughly. Blanch in boiling water for 1-2 minutes until tender-crisp. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking, then squeeze out as much water as possible and finely chop.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, egg, water, salt, white pepper, and sesame oil until a smooth batter forms.
Fold the chopped choy sum and corn kernels into the batter. Mix well to combine.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, spreading it slightly to form a round shape.
Fry for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more vegetable oil as needed.
Serve the hot spring vegetable and corn pancakes immediately with the vegetarian XO sauce on the side.
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