Rice is topped with various vegetable toppings and served with tea soup made of tea leaves, nuts, seeds, and herbs. My simplified version of the traditional Hakka Lei Cha Rice.
Soak the preserved radish in water to get rid of extra saltiness. Discard water and press out any excess water from the radish
Press the tofu:
I use extra-firm tofu and still there are quite a bit of liquid in there. Place the tofu on a cutting board lined with absorbent paper towel. Cover with another paper towel on top of the tofu and then place a heavy object on top and let it sit for 15 minutes
Remove the heavy object and be surprised by how much liquid is soaked by the paper towel. Repeat this one more time for another 15 minutes. Then cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes
Pan-fry the tofu:
Put about 1 tsp of oil in a non-stick skillet. Pan fry the tofu pieces until they are golden brown on all sides. Set aside
Cook the vegetables:
Heat about 1 Tbsp of oil in a wok. Add chye sim and 1/3 of the garlic and stir fry until soft but not mushy. Season with salt to your taste. Remove from the wok. In the same wok, add 1 Tbsp of oil. Add long beans and stir fry until the beans are soft. Season with seasonings to your taste. Remove from the wok. Last but not least, add another 1 Tbsp of oil. Add mani chye (if using) and stir fry until they are soft. The same thing for mustard greens. Season with salt to your taste. Set aside
Cook the toppings:
In the same wok, add another 1 tsp of oil. Add garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add dried shrimp (if using) and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Set aside
Add 1 Tbsp of oil. Add chai po and season with a bit of sugar. Stir fry for about 5 minutes and then remove from the wok
Prepare the soup:
Place all the ingredients for tea soup in a food processor and process into a paste. Add a bit of water to help things going in there. Place this paste in a large bowl
Serving:
For each serving, scoop out about 2-3 Tbsp of the tea paste and pour about 3-4 Tbsp of hot boiling water and then stir and let it sit for 15 minutes
Portion rice in a deep platter or bowl. Arrange all the veggies and toppings. Just before serving pour the soup over the rice and serve immediately