Lotus roots have become one of my favorite root vegetables to eat since moving to Japan because they have the best texture. They can be pickled, sauteed, baked and enjoy with a variety of different seasonings.
The appearance can intimidate some people (especially those with a bit of trypophobia) but I promise this vegetable is a versatile and delicious item to include into your everyday cooking! Not only are lotus roots high in fiber, they are packed with vitamin C and potassium that help support your immune system and heart health.
This lotus root stir fry is a quick and simple side dish that is great for when you’re craving an umami packed crispy veggie dish.
20 minutes
Lina ☆ りな
PROFILE
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 4
Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings
When scaling the recipe, the ratios of some ingredients may require slight adjustments. Adjust as necessary and season to taste.
- 2 lotus roots
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 0.5 L water
- 1.5 tbsp sugar
- 1.5 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp shiro dashi (Concentrated Japanese Soup Base)
- 2 tbsp ground white sesame seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1
Peel and slice the lotus root into 5mm slices.
- 2
Soak the lotus root slices in vinegar water for 5 to 10 minutes.
- 3
In a medium sized saucepan, add 1 tbsp of neutral oil and sautee the lotus root until slight char marks.
- 4
Sprinkle over the sugar, then mirin and saute to coat all the lotus roots.
- 5
Once the alcohol of the mirin slightly cooks off, add in the shiro dashi.
- 6
Sautee until the sauce is thicker and once all the lotus roots are coated, add in the sesame seeds.
- 7
Once the sauce is evenly coated, serve and enjoy!
RecipeID
675
Tips & Notes
Shiro dashi can usually be found at many Asian markets, but if you don’t have it, you can use mentsuyu which is a Japanese noodle base sauce that can be diluted based on package instructions. You can also use soy sauce but please note that it may be a bit saltier and darker than using shiro dashi.
If you are using “aji-mirin”, use 1 tbsp instead of 1.5 tbsp because it is a bit saltier than traditional Japanese mirin.
For those who need a non-alcoholic version, feel free to just use soy sauce and sugar but please note that it has a slightly more intense salty and sweet flavor. Once you sauté the sugar and mirin for a bit, the alcohol flavor will completely cook off.
Once the sugar and mirin are added, it will brown quickly so be sure to keep mixing and turn down the heat if needed.
If you only have whole white sesame seeds, pulse them in a food processor for a bit – having ground sesame seeds is what helps to completely coat the lotus roots.
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Hi friend! こんにちは! I’m Lina Takahashi, a Japanese-American gal born and raised in Colorado and my love language is making people food! To be honest, my last name was actually a part of my identity that I actually really struggled with as a kid. I grew up as one of very few Asian women in my community in Boulder, Colorado and I used to be incredibly self-conscious of my last name because it sounded “too” Japanese and it was often mispronounced. I wanted a simple last name, a name anyone could recognize and know that I am the same as everyone else — oh, how heartbreaking it must have been for my mother the day I came home and asked her why I don’t have blonde hair and blue eyes. Even throughout questioning my identity as a Japanese-American woman, one thing that I never questioned was knowing for a fact that Japanese food was my absolute favorite. All I wanted to do as a kid was watch my mom cook in the kitchen and learn how she creates this magical food. Who knew I would come to create a platform to share it with you, too! I am thankful for my mother who taught me how to cook Japanese food in a city where it was hard to find Japanese ingredients nearby. She made us miso soup every night, Japanese food like omurice, Japanese croquettes, curry, karaage, sushi and so much more! I know now that it was not an easy feat. She made her own somen and udon broth, she baked her own Japanese shokupan; she was making mochi before Instagram or Tik Tok existed! Ponzu and salmon on rice?! That was my breakfast I looked forward to it in elementary school the day after we had salmon for dinner. Now, all I want to do is share with YOU what I’ve grown up eating and cooking with my Japanese home in hopes that you can bring a little bit of Japan into your kitchen! Many of my recipes have a Japanese twist on them, but a lot of my recipes are also just because I think it tastes good and I hope you do too 🙂 Come say hi and send me any recipe requests on social platforms under @takahasheats and join me in a life of eating, cooking and being in awe of food. Itadakimas! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takahasheats YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@takahasheats TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@takahasheats