Sweet & Sour Lotus Root

 

Lotus root is a very healthy vegetable. And there are many ways to cook it. Sweet & sour lotus root is an easy dish and it can bring you good appetite.

 

Ingredients:

Sweet and Sour Lotus Root
2/3 lb. lotus root, or 2 sections
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
4 tsp Chinkiang vinegar (balsamic vinegar makes a decent substitute, if need be)
3 3/4 tsp corn starch
3/4 C chicken stock
1 dried Chinese chili (the slender, pointed sort that come about 2″ long)
2 tsp finely chopped ginger
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
3 scallions, only the green parts, finely chopped
Sesame oil to taste

 

Direction:

Step 1:    Peel the lotus root and slice it into 1/8″ thick slices. Put the slices in a bowl of lightly salted room-temperature water while you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Create a slurry of the salt, sugar, vinegar, corn starch, and a spoonful of the chicken stock. The idea here is to whisk the corn starch well with the other ingredients so that it does not get lumpy later on.

            

 

 

Step 2:    remove the lotus root slices from the water and pat them dry.

Heat your wok until it just starts to smoke, then swirl in enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Stir-fry the lotus root slices until they almost begin to brown, but not quite – they will turn a bit more translucent and taste less starchy when they are done.

Once all the lotus root slices are cooked through, add the single chili into the oil, along with the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for a moment, until fragrant, then add the chicken stock and, immediately afterwards, the slurry you created earlier. Stir the sauce as it boils and thickens.

     

 

Step 3:    When the sauce is thick, remove from heat and stir in  the scallions, and, if you like, sesame oil to taste.

Serve with rice and several other dishes for a family-style feast.