Best Lunar New Year Dishes to Bring Luck & Prosperity in 2024

Spicy Cucumber Salad

Crunchy, refreshing, and super easy to make, this spicy cucumber salad is the perfect appetizer for a hearty meal. Feel free to skip the chili oil for a kid-friendly version!

Ingredients:

• 2 whole English Cucumber
• 1 Tbsp of Sugar
• 1 Tsp of Salt
• Marinate
• 2 tbsp of Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
• 3 tbsp of Black Vinegar
• 0.5 tbsp of Sugar
• 1.5 tbsp of Chopped Cilantro 
• 1.5 tbsp of Mama’s Chili Oil
• 1 tsp of Sesame Seeds
• 1 stalk of Green Onion (chopped)
  
  

Instructions:

1. Smash Cucumber and cut into 1.5-inch pieces 
2. In a bowl mix, all the ingredients from the marinade together 
3. Pour on the sauce over the cucumber and enjoy! 

Longevity Noodles with Meat Sauce

Known as “long life noodles”, longevity noodles are a must-have during Lunar New Year celebrations. To live a long and prosperous life, make sure to never break or cut the noodles when eating them!

Ingredients:

• 25 Shiitake Mushrooms sliced
• 2 Medium Shallots minced or Golden Shallot Oil to taste
• 4 cloves of Garlic minced
• 1 lb of Ground Pork or Chicken
• 3 tbsp of Four Season Scallion Sauce
• 2.5 tbsp of Sugar
• 2.5 cups of Water
• 4 packs of Noodles
• 2 packs of Marinated Firm Tofu (Vegetarian option)
  

Instructions:

1. Turn the heat up to medium-high, drizzle in oil, and add ground meat in a pot. Sauté together for 2-3 minutes
2. Add in shallots and garlic and sauté together for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add in sliced mushroom, soy sauce, and sugar and saute together for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add in 2 cups of water and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
5. In the meantime, prepare the noodles.
6. To plate this dish, start with the noodles and pour on the meat sauce. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.
   
   * VEGETARIAN: Replace ground meat with diced marinated firm tofu. *
   
   

Steamed Fish

A Lunar New Year celebration isn't truly fulfilled without a steamed fish! Symbolizing wealth and prosperity, this dish is typically served whole. In Chinese tradition, the word for fish also signifies surplus, guaranteeing a feeling of abundance year after year!

Ingredients:

• 1 Whole Fish (~2lb)
• 4 green onion
• 6 thin slices of ginger
• 2 tablespoons of Chinese Cooking Wine (optional)
• ¼ cup oil (canola or vegetable)
• 4 tablespoons Four Season Scallion Sauce 
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish 
  
  

1. Stuff 2 stocks of green onion and 3 thin slices of ginger in the fish. Pour on 2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine and steam for 20 minutes.
2. Thinly julienne green onions and slice up the rest of the ginger.
3. Heat 1/4 cup of oil. In the meantime, in a bowl, mix soy sauce and sugar.
4. Once the fish is cooked, transfer the fish onto a new serving plate and remove all the stuffing. Place green onion and ginger on top of the fish and pour on the sauce.
5. Drizzle on hot oil all over the green onion and ginger, then garnish with some more green onion.
   
   
   

Taiwanese Sticky Rice

Bursting with aroma and flavor, this iconic dish is perfect for sharing with your family and friends during Lunar New Year. The delightful "sticky" texture of the rice symbolizes the close bonds between you and your loved ones – a beautiful metaphor of unity and togetherness!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups glutinous rice
• 1 cup dehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1¼ cups water
• ¼ cup sliced ginger
• ½ cup chopped carrot
• ½ cup sliced Chinese sausage, optional
• 3 tablespoons Four Season Scallion Sauce
• 3 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoons Golden Shallot Oil
• 6 lotus leaves (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place the glutinous rice in a large bowl and cover it with 8 cups of water; let it soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.
2. Soak the dehydrated shiitake mushroom with 1⅔ cup of water. Let it soak for 30 minutes or until the mushroom has softened. Squeeze dry the mushrooms, and reserve the mushroom liquid. Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms into small strips.
3. Heat Golden Shallot Oil in a large frying pan, add sliced ginger and mushroom, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat until fragrant.
4. In the same pan, add carrots and Chinese sausage. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the Four Season Scallion Sauce and vegetarian oyster sauce. Add the glutinous rice and mix well to ensure all the rice is coated with the sauce.
5. Pour in the reserved mushroom liquid, and gently fold the rice until the rice has soaked up all the sauce, 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure to be gentle to prevent the rice from breaking.
6. Fill a pot that will fit a bamboo steamer about a third of the way up with water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
7. Line a steamer basket with parchment paper or lotus leaves. Pour in the rice, and using a chopstick, make holes in the rice to allow the air to flow in the steam to rise evenly. Make as many holes as you can, as this will ensure the rice cooks evenly.
8. Place the steamer over the boiling water, cover, and let the rice steam for 25 minutes. Remove the steamer from the pot and rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, drizzle on Golden Shallot Oil, and enjoy!
   
   
   

 Vegetarian Dumplings

A timeless dish that fosters togetherness, dumplings are the embodiment of good fortune and wealth. The round shape of dumplings goes beyond aesthetics, representing completeness and a harmonious family. Inspired by her upbringing, our founder Tiffy cherished the tradition of making dumplings with her family. Now, you can make them with your family too!

Ingredients:

• 0.5  Large Cabbage (chopped) 
• 0.5 Carrot (shredded)
• 3 Green Onion (chopped)
• 10 Shiitake Mushroom (chopped)
• 50 oz of Vermicelli Noodles
• 2 tbsp of Sesame Oil
• 1.5 tbsp of Four Season Scallion Sauce
• ¼ cup of Cilantro (chopped)
• 3.5 tbsp of Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
• 1 tbsp of Mushroom Powder
• 2.5 tbsp of Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp of White Pepper
• 50 Dumpling Wrappers
  
  

1. Add 2 tbsp of Salt in chopped cabbage, massage, and set it aside for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, squeeze out all the excess water. 
2. In a pan, add in 2 tbsp of sesame oil, 1,5 tbsp of Four Season Scallion sauce, chopped shiitake mushroom, shredded carrots, and white parts of the green onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes until carrots become soft. 
3. Soak 50z of vermicelli noodles in water for 5 minutes. Drain the noodles, using your scissors, cut them into small pieces. 
4. Mix cabbage, saute veggies, chopped green onion, cilantro, and vermicelli noodles in a large bowl.
5. Season with 3.5 tbsp of vegetarian oyster sauce, 1 tbsp of Mushroom powder, 2.5 tbsp of sesame oil, and 1 tsp of white pepper. 
6. Take one piece of wrapper and add in 1 tbsp of the filling in the middle. Add water to the edges. Fold the wrapper in half, and using the palm of your hand, squeeze the wrapping together on each side while pushing the filling down, forming a ball. Make sure that all the edges are tightly sealed.
7. Boil a pot of water. Once the water is boiling, add in the dumplings. Once the dumplings float, cook for another 2 minutes.

As we celebrate the Lunar New Year, may these recipes bring joy and prosperity to your gatherings! Whether it's the abundance of the Steamed Fish or the unity in the Vegetarian Dumplings, each dish embodies tradition, love, and togetherness. Here at kai dong, we wish you all a happy, healthy, and wealthy 2024!