Everything You Need to Know About Lotus Root (Plus an Ultra-Crispy Stir-Fry Recipe)

Lotus root (Ren Ou) is an underwater subterranean stem harvested from the lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera). Widely celebrated across East, South, and Southeast Asian culinary traditions, it is easily recognized by its striking lace-like cross-section full of hollow air channels.

1. Culinary Profile: Taste, Texture, and Varieties

Flavor: Mild, subtly sweet, and nutty—similar to a raw water chestnut or a crisp jicama.
Texture: Unique for retaining a clean, snappy crunch even after light cooking or boiling. When stewed slowly, its starch breaks down into a softer, tender bite.
Two Main Varieties:
- Crunchy Lotus Root (7-hole): Higher in moisture and crispness. Best suited for quick stir-fries, quick-pickling, cold salads, and deep-frying into chips.
- Starchy/Floury Lotus Root (9-hole): Higher in starch and lower in water. Best used for slow-simmered soups, braises, and herbal broths.

2. Health & Nutritional Benefits

Rich in Dietary Fiber: Supports digestion and keeps you full longer.
High in Vitamin C: A single portion provides a significant daily dose to boost immune function.
Minerals & Antioxidants: Packed with potassium, copper, iron, and manganese, supporting heart health and circulation.

3. Preparation & Handling Tips

Washing: Choose firm, undamaged sections with unbroken ends so mud doesn't enter the internal air tubes. Wash under cold running water.
Peeling: Use a vegetable peeler to strip the tan outer skin, revealing the pale interior [00:21].
Preventing Oxidation: Like apples, lotus root oxidizes quickly when exposed to air. Submerge sliced lotus root in cold water (with a drop of rice vinegar or lemon juice) until ready to cook.

Featured Recipe: Crispy Stir-Fried Lotus Root with Pork

This recipe comes directly from the video The BEST Lotus Root Recipe Ever! Extra Crispy & Flavorful! by 天天相見廚房yummy_kitchen.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

Lotus Root: 1 medium-to-large section (peeled, halved length-wise, and sliced thin) [00:28]
Pork or Beef Slices: ~100g (sliced thin against the grain) [02:49]
Screw Peppers / Green Chili Peppers: 2–3 (sliced into bite-sized angles) [01:27]

Aromatics

Garlic: 3 cloves (minced) [02:00]
Ginger: 1 small knob (minced) [02:20]
Red Chili Pepper: 1 (sliced) [02:34]

Pork Marinade

Oyster sauce
Light soy sauce & Dark soy sauce [03:31]
Salt, chicken powder, & white pepper [03:19]
Shaoxing cooking wine [03:31]
Cornstarch & water [03:41]
Neutral cooking oil (to seal) [04:10]

Sauce & Seasoning

Salt, chicken powder, white pepper, and light soy sauce [06:24]
Cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) [07:16]
Sesame oil or finishing oil [07:27]

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep & Blanch the Lotus Root

Peel and slice the lotus root into uniform, thin half-moon pieces [00:58].
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt [04:20], and blanch the lotus root slices for about 1 minute [04:45].
Drain well and set aside [05:03].

Step 2: Marinate the Meat

Combine the sliced pork with oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, chicken powder, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and a small splash of water [03:19].
Mix thoroughly until the liquid is completely absorbed by the meat [03:53].
Add a little oil over the top to seal in moisture [04:10].

Step 3: Stir-Fry the Meat

Heat a wok with oil until hot. Add the marinated pork slices and stir-fry over high heat for about 1 minute until cooked through and fragrant [05:13].
Remove the pork from the wok and set aside [05:35].

Step 4: Sauté Aromatics & Peppers

Re-heat the wok with fresh oil. Add minced garlic, ginger, and red chili peppers; stir-fry until fragrant [05:41].
Add the green screw peppers and blister them on high heat for about 1 minute until slightly charred [05:57].

Step 5: Combine & Season

Add the blanched lotus root slices to the wok [06:08].
Season with salt, chicken powder, white pepper, and light soy sauce [06:24]. Toss rapidly over high heat for 1 minute [06:45].
Re-introduce the cooked pork slices to the wok, splash in a little cooking wine around the rim, and toss everything together for 30 seconds [06:50].

Step 6: Finish and Serve

Pour in a light cornstarch slurry to coat the ingredients with a glossy sheen [07:16].
Finish with a quick drizzle of sesame oil, toss well over high heat, and serve immediately [07:27].

Easy Breakfast Tuna Ala Pobre

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A post shared by Ysabelle Ho (@ysa.craverave)

Here is an easy canned tuna recipe done in under 30 mins of cooking posted by @Ysabelle Ho

Ingredients:

Canned tuna in oil

garlic

spring onion

corn starch slurry

2tbsp. oyster sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup of water

4-5 calamansi or lime or lemon to taste

sugar to taste

tablespoon of butter

Method:

1. Mince 5 cloves of garlic and pan fry until golden brown. Set aside and use as garnish later.

2. Prepare mixture of oyster sauce, soy sauce, kalamansi, sugar and water.

3. Cook canned tuna in pan then add the sauce mixture. Add the butter then add the slurry. Finish off by adding the spring onion.

4. Serve on top of rice with fried egg and topped with crispy garlic.

Easy Cha Shiu Air fryer chicken by thesavorychopstick

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A post shared by Sharon 🥢 Quick & Easy Recipes (@thesavorychopstick)

Salt and Pepper Beef by Chef Andy Cooks

Ingredients

- 300g Beef sirloin or fillet sliced into thin strips

- 1 egg

- Korn flour for dusting

- 3 clove garlic, crushed

- 1/2 small brown onion, finely sliced

- 1/2 green capsicums sliced thin

- 1/2 red capsicums sliced thin

- 2 tbsp soy

- 1 small knob ginger, finely grated

- 1 tsp sesame oil

- 1 tsp sugar

- 1/2 tsp MSG (optional)

- 1/4 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp white pepper

- 1/4 tsp black pepper

- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice

- 500ml veg oil for frying

Method

1. Marinate your beef in soy sauce, ginger, baking soda, sugar, 1/2 of the white pepper and sesame oil.

2. After the beef is marinated for 30 minutes, mix in the egg and then dust it in the cornflower.

3. Heat your veg oil up to 180°c and fry the beef for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown

4. Remove from the oil and let it drain well.

5. In a wok or large frying pan, sauté your garlic, onions and capsicum.

6. Once they have just started to soften, add the fried beef and season with pepper, Chinese five spice and optional MSG.

7. Serve with rice.

8. Enjoy!

Honey Butter Cheese Garlic Twist :: Crispy Cheese Bread Stick :: No Ferm...

Easy to make garlic honey butter and cheese bread without the fermentation process as presented by 매일맛나 delicious day.

[10 things]

✤ Dough

- 180g Soft flour (all-purpose flour available)

- 100g Room temperature unsalted butter

- 4g (1tsp) Salt

- 80g Cold water

✤ Egg wash

- 1 Egg

- 8g(1Tbsp) Milk

✤ Peeling

- 80g Mozzarella cheese

- 40g Mexican cheese (Colby Jack cheese, or use your favorite cheese)

✤ Honey Butter Garlic Sauce

- 30g (4Tbsp) Melted unsalted butter

- 10g (0.5Tbsp) Minced garlic

- 5g (0.5Tbsp) Minced green onion

- 16g (1Tbsp) Honey

✤ TIP

- The dough should not be kneaded as much as possible so that it is crispy.

- When the dough is folded, the butter does not melt to form a texture, so it is crispy.

- You can also make it with puff pastry dough.

[10 things]

✤ Dough

- 180g Soft flour (all-purpose flour available)

- 100g Room temperature unsalted butter

- 4g (1tsp) Salt

- 80g Cold water

✤ Egg wash

- 1 Egg

- 8g(1Tbsp) Milk

✤ Peeling

- 80g Mozzarella cheese

- 40g Mexican cheese (Colby Jack cheese, or use your favorite cheese)

✤ Honey Butter Garlic Sauce

- 30g (4Tbsp) Melted unsalted butter

- 10g (0.5Tbsp) Minced garlic

- 5g (0.5Tbsp) Minced green onion

- 16g (1Tbsp) Honey

✤ TIP

- The dough should not be kneaded as much as possible so that it is crispy.

- When the dough is folded, the butter does not melt to form a texture, so it is crispy.

- You can also make it with puff pastry dough.

How To Make Juicy Curried Sausages with mashed Potatoes by Andy Cooks

Ingredients

1kg Sausages

5 cloves garlic

2 red onions

1 green apple

2 carrots

2 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons flour

700ml chicken stock

200g frozen peas

tablespoon honey

salt and pepper

Mash to serve

salt to taste

1. Boil your peeled potatoes in a pot to make mashed potatoes.When the potatoes are soft mash them and mix with milk and butter.

2. Slice your carrots, onions, garlic, and apple then set them aside. On a frying pan give your sausages a good sear until brown then set them aside to cool. Once cool slice them into small bitesize pieces and refry them to a brown color.

3. Fry your onion until aromatic then add a pinch of salt and the garlic. Mix in 2 tbsp. of flour and curry powder. Let it cook for a few minutes before adding your chicken stock. Add your carrots and let it cook until soft. Once the carrot is soft add the sliced apple, green peas and the sausages Let it cook for a few minutes before adding honey to taste.

TUNA SALAD SANDWICH 2 WAYS (This Cooking Method Blew My Mind)by Brian Langerstorm

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RECIPE

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DELI-STYLE TUNA SALAD

▪2 cans or 225g of nice canned tuna

▪110g or 1/2c mayo (recipe below)

▪50g or 1/3c bread & butter pickles, small chopped

▪20-30g or ½ medium shallot, small diced and rinsed under cold water

▪10g or 1 heaping Tbsp capers, rough chopped

▪35g or 1 stalk of celery, small diced

▪30g or 2 Tbsp yellow mustard

▪1.5g salt or 1 generous pinch

▪1g or 10-15 cranks of cracked black pepper

Mix with a fork until the tuna has broken down into medium-sized chunks. Toast thick-cut bread and spread a light layer of mayo on each piece of toast. Scoop a generous amount of tuna on bread and top with additional chopped b&b pickles, cracked black pepper, and shredded lettuce.

MAYO (recipe makes about 250g)

▪1lrg egg

▪20g or 1 1/3Tbsp water

▪20g or 1 1/3Tbsp white distilled vinegar

▪5g or 3/4tsp salt

▪325g or 1 1/3c neutral oil (avocado, canola, grapeseed, etc)

Add all ingredients except oil into a high-sided container, blend with hand blender then slowly stream in oil.

MEDITERRANEAN STYLE TUNA SALAD WITH OIL-POACHED TUNA:

▪220g or 1/2lb of oil-poached tuna. See below for cooking methods OR use nice oil-packed white tuna

▪25-30g or ½ shallot, finely minced

▪10g chopped parsley

▪30g or 2-3Tbsp roasted red pepper, diced

▪10g or 1.5 Tbsp fennel, small diced

▪25g or 2Tbsp kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

▪10-15g or 1Tbsp capers, coarsely chopped

▪35g or 2 3/4Tbsp nice olive oil + additional for garnish

▪20g or 1 1/4Tbsp red wine vinegar

▪A pinch or 15-20 cranks of cracked black pepper

Mix tuna and ingredients together using a fork to break down super large chunks of meat. Scoop salad onto a narrow crusty bread (baguette style). Add an additional pinch of pepper and drizzle of nice olive oil.

OIL POACHED

▪1lb/.5kg raw big eye tuna (yellowfin also works)

▪Salt

Salt both sides of tuna steak generously. Add 500g or 2.5c olive oil to a small saucepan over med heat. Preheat oil to 150F/65C. Carefully lay in tuna steak, reduce heat to lowish, and poach for 25-30min, keeping an eye on the oil temp to be sure it stays at around 150F/65C. After about 25 min or when the temp of tuna reaches 150F/65C, remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30min.

SOUS VIDE

▪1lb/.5kg raw big eye tuna (yellowfin also works)

▪salt

Salt both sides of tuna steak generously. Add 1gal or 4liters water to the tall-sided pot and add an immersion circulator and set the temperature to 150F/65C. Add salted tuna steak with a couple of glugs of nice olive oil into a sealed bag (i’m using a vacuum-sealed bag). Allow poaching for about 35min. After 35min, remove the immersion circulator and add a qt of ice to stop the fish from cooking.