• Gently rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms with tap water to remove any dust. Add the mushrooms into a medium-sized bowl and add 1/2 cup boiling water to cover. Make sure the mushrooms are submerged. Let rehydrate until the mushrooms turn soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut and prepare the other ingredients in the meantime. Once the mushrooms are done soaking, squeeze out the excess liquid and slice into strips. Reserve the soaking liquid.

Boil and cool the broth

• Combine all the broth ingredients plus 3 tablespoons of mushroom soaking liquid in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool completely.

Prepare the filling

• Mix the filling sauce ingredients with 1 tablespoon of the mushroom soaking liquid in a small bowl. Stir to mix well.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the ginger and stir for 30 seconds, until it smells fragrant.
• Add the rehydrated sliced shiitakes, carrots, and bamboo shoots. Cook and stir for another minute.
• Pour in the sauce. Cook and stir until it is absorbed into the vegetables and the carrots are softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer everything to a big plate and set aside.

Assemble the loaf

• Remove the tofu sheet from the package, remove 3 sheets from the stack, and keep them stacked and folded in half. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the uneven hard edges from the tofu sheets, and place the cut-off edges into the broth. Then slice the sheets in half so that you have 6 semi-circles.
• Lay one semi-circle on a large clean work surface, so that the straight edge is facing left. Gather the cut edges from the broth with a pair of tongs. Use them to wipe a generous layer of broth onto the tofu sheet (it will be absorbed by the tofu), returning the edges to the broth when you are done. Lay another semi-circle over the first, this time with its straight edge facing right so that a rectangle-like shape is formed. Wipe the top layer of the tofu sheet with the broth in the same way you did with the previous layer. Repeat these steps, switching between laying the sheet right or left, until all the semi-circles are used. (See the blog post above for the step-by-step pictures.)
• Squeeze most of the broth out of the edges and place them at the base (closest to you) of the rectangle, leaving 2” (5 cm) at the bottom and to both sides. Layer all the vegetable filling over the edges. When you’re doing this step, it’s important to make sure the length of the filling is shorter than the frying pan you will use later for the frying. (*Footnote 1)
• Starting from the bottom, roll the sheets over the filling. Squeeze and tuck it tightly and continue to roll until the filling is fully covered. Then fold both sides inwards. Continue to roll so that they are tucked in. Once done, place the roll seam side down and you will have a loaf.

Cook the loaf

• Prepare a steamer by adding water and bringing it to a boil. Place the loaf on the steaming rack. Steam covered for 8 minutes over high or medium-high heat. Once done, carefully remove the loaf from the steamer. Place it on a rack to let it drain.
• Prepare a plate or a tray and top it with a wire rack.
• Prepare a high-walled pan or pot that is large enough to fit the roll. Add enough oil so it would cover half of the loaf (but don’t put the loaf in yet). Heat over medium heat until it reaches 350°F (176°C). Gently lower the roll in with the seam side down. You can do this using a pair of tongs with the help of a spatula. Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the roll turns golden brown all over. Carefully remove the loaf from the oil onto a rack to let drain briefly. Then transfer to a high-walled dish. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• Before serving, drizzle the remaining broth over the roll.
• Serve the dish hot or warm as a main dish.