Lotus Root Stir Fry Recipe

Traditional Chinese cuisine offers many dishes with great flavors. You may be familiar with the beautiful lotus flower and perhaps didn't know that the root of the flower is a common ingredient found in Asian food. The bulb or rhizome can be eaten raw or cooked, and can be enjoyed in stir fries, soups, salads, and even snack foods. 

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for lotus root stir fry and says, "I love going to the Asian market and finding a variety of vegetables that you don't see at regular grocery stores. Lotus root is actually a very nutritious vegetable [that] has many health benefits. It doesn't look like much on the outside, but once it's sliced, it resembles a lace-like flower. It tastes like a cross between jicama and water chestnuts, and is superb in this dish." Read on to learn how to make this flavorful stir fry.

To make this recipe, we'll need a few things, starting with dried wood ear mushrooms, lotus root, baby corn, oyster sauce, and ginkgo nuts. "The wood ear mushrooms look like a small brown ear, and are helpful in holding pockets of sauce in your stir fry. When looking for a lotus root, pick one that is firm and light brown. You may see a couple linked together, and it is fine to buy 2 small ones instead of 1 large one. When buying ginkgo nuts, look for the type that has been cleaned and cooked, which are ready to eat," Hahn shares. 

Then, you'll need some carrots, celery, ginger root, and some other basics like white vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, arrowroot powder, water, and oil. If you plan to serve this dish with rice, any variety will be great. "If you have cornstarch on hand, you can use that in place of the arrowroot powder," Hahn tells us.

The first step is to hydrate the dried wood ear mushrooms by putting them in a medium bowl filled with hot water for 20 minuets. They will expand quite a bit, so make sure there is plenty of room in your bowl. To prepare the lotus root, cut off the ends and peel the thick skin off with a potato peeler. Slice the lotus root into ⅛- to ¼-inch pieces, and put them in a bowl of water with the vinegar to soak for 20 minutes; this will prevent it from browning. Cut the carrots into ½-inch slices, and slice the celery on the diagonal. Peel the ginger and cut it into slices. Cut each mini corn into small pieces.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, and add in the drained lotus root and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, then drain. While you are waiting for the pot of water to boil, make the simple dressing.

Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, arrowroot powder, and water in a small bowl, using a whisk to break up any lumps. "The sauce will get thicker once you add it to the stir fry, and it is heated in the next step," Hahn remarks.

Now, add the oil to a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced ginger, and stir for 1 minute. Add the drained mushrooms, and stir fry for 2 minutes. Then, add the lotus root, carrot, celery, baby corn, and ginkgo nuts. Stir for 1 minute, then pour in sauce. Cook for another minute, then serve. Serve the stir fry by itself, or with rice. Leftovers will last for 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge.