Lotus root?? What’s that?
Lotus roots is actually the stem of a lotus flower, an aquatic plant, and has been a staple in many Asian cuisines, Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine. Although it looks rather unappealing woody tube from the exterior, the cross section is actually beautiful with organized pattern of holes that resemble lace. It is known to be an excellent source of Vitamin C and dietary fibre as well as other various nutrients.
I grew up eating this in various vegetarian stir fries, soups or dishes with meat in our home. It is said that this first originated in southern China, close to my home in Hong Kong. Most of the time home-cooked Chinese food and dishes are difficult to find in restaurants, so while I enjoyed this a lot at home, I’m sure it is not commonly eaten by foreign visitors in restaurants. It is however a popular ingredient in buddhist vegetarian cooking as well.
I confess it was never really a vegetable I loved, since I much preferred softer vegetables like cabbage or fungi mushrooms, but it wasn’t one I hated either. If I had to put into words – it has the crunchy texture of jicama with the taste of potato. It is rather bland – but carries the flavor of your seasonings well. Cantonese home cooking is often known to be rather light and definitely not spicy unlike other regions in China. We also don’t have a lot of cold marinated dishes in Cantonese cooking hence I had never had a lotus root in a salad. When I first discovered this recipe, upon the request of my husband who had no idea what else we could do with our remaining lotus root. I didn’t know quite what exactly I was getting myself into.
I was SHOCKED, needless to say. Amongst the many home cooked lotus root dishes I have had, this is probably my favorite way of enjoying lotus roots. The beautiful crunch of the lotus roots amongst the myriad of flavors of spicy, fresh, savory and scents from the fragrant aromatics. This is delicious as a side dish with rice or snack (I just take bitefuls of this between meetings).
- ½ lb of Lotus Root, (washed, peeled, thinly sliced and blanched in boiling water for 1 minute)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 scallions, finely chopped
- large bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
- ½" piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp black vinegar or rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Lao Gan Ma (or favorite Chili Crisp or Oil)
- Take a peeler and peel the lotus root.
- Using a sharp knife slice crosswise into thin pieces (1/4" thick) to reveal its lace like cross section.
- Carefully rinse the slice iin cold water to removes the starchiness. This step makes it more crunchy (you may see some purple color - this is just normal oxidation)
- Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch the lotus root for 1 minute. Drain and soak in cold water to stop it from cooking.
- In a separate bowl, add all the other ingredients. Mix, taste and adjust seasoning. You can serve immediately or keep in fridge for several days.
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