Have you seen lotus root when you shop in the Asian Market? If so, have you wondered how to cook it? Today, I am going to share 3 easy recipes to enjoy lotus root.
Stir Fry Lotus Root (小炒莲藕)
Ingredients
- 300 grams of lotus root peeled and sliced thinly
- 3 tbsp of white vinegar for blanching the lotus root
- 2.5 tbsp of cooking oil
- 3 of diced Thai bird eye chilies diced
- 3 red dried chilies cut into short pieces
- 2 tbsp of minced garlic
- 2 tsp of minced ginger
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 2 tsp of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of diced scallions as garnish
Instructions
- Remove the lotus root joint and peel the skin. Next, slice the lotus root thinly.
- Add a big drizzle of white vinegar to a pot of boiling water, then blanch the lotus root for 2 minutes. The vinegar prevents the lotus root from oxidation.
- Remove the lotus root from the water and let it rest on the sieve so it can drain completely.
- Turn the heat to medium and add a drizzle of oil to the wok along with the red dried chilies, Thai bird eye chili, minced garlic, and minced ginger. Stir until fragrant. Using both fresh and dried chilies will create a complex flavor. If you don’t eat spicy food, you can skip the chilies.
- Toss in the blanched lotus root and add some salt to taste. Drizzle in 2 tsp of soy sauce. Keep mixing until the seasonings are well combined. Garnish with diced scallions and serve as a side dish.
Video
Crispy Lotus root pancake (莲藕煎饼)
This is a great breakfast item to try. Lotus root has a pretty high starch content, so these pancakes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, kind of like hash brown. You can serve it with your favorite chili sauce or ketchup, but they are delicious on their own.
Ingredients
- 300 of lotus root grated
- 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp of soy sauce
- 1 tsp of Hoisin sauce
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp of diced scallions
- White pepper to taste
- 2-3 tbsp of oil to pan fry
Instructions
- Peel the lotus root, then use the largest teeth on your grater to grate the lotus root into a big mixing bowl. Souped Up Tip: keep one lotus root joint and use it as a handle to safely grate the lotus root to the end.
- Add 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour to the grated lotus root, then season with 1.5 tsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of hoisin sauce, some salt, and white pepper to taste. Add the diced scallions and crack in 1 egg. Mix well, then roughly divide it into six batches.
- Heat your frying pan until hot, then drizzle a generous amount of oil and swirl it to cover the pan. Carefully add one portion of the lotus root batter. Use a spoon to flatten the batter into a 4-inch pancake. Keep adding the rest of the lotus batter.
- Fry the pancakes over medium heat for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden brown. Remove them from the frying pan and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Lotus Root Meatballs (莲藕肉丸)
My favorite way to enjoy lotus root is putting it into meatballs because it provides a nice crunchy texture. The meatballs are deep-fried until crispy on the outside and tender inside.
Ingredients
- 140 g 5 oz of lotus root, diced
- 340 g 12 oz of ground pork
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp of diced scallions
- 3 tbsp of diced cilantro
- 2 tbsp of minced garlic
- 1 tbsp of minced ginger
- 1 tbsp of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of fish sauce
- 1 tbsp of oyster sauce
- Black pepper to taste.
- 2.5 tbsp of cornstarch
- 2-3 cups of oil to deep fry
Instructions
- Peel the lotus root and dice it finely. You can use a food processor if you have one.
- Transfer the diced lotus root into a big mixing bowl, then add 340g (12 oz) of ground pork, one egg, 2 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 tbsp of minced ginger, 3 tbsp of diced scallions, 3 tbsp of diced cilantro, and 2.5 tbsp of cornstarch.
- Season it with 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, and some white pepper to taste. Mix it until the seasonings are well combined, then stir the meat in one direction for 5 minutes to develop the texture.
- Heat the oil to 375 F. Grab some ground pork, and form it into a meatball. Carefully add the meatballs into the oil and fry over medium heat for a few minutes or until the meatballs are golden brown. If you don’t want to use that much oil to deep fry, you can flatten the meatballs into patties and pan-fry until golden brown.
- Remove the meatballs from the oil and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.