September 12, 2010: Caramelised lotus root

I have eaten some tasty lotus root dishes this year but I didn't consider preparing it at home until I saw a recipe on Soupurban, with a note that the root can be found frozen in many Asian supermarkets.  A month or so later I did come across it and resolved to give that recipe a go.

I made some alterations to suit my pantry and preferences and these worked fine.  My only blunder was to get hungry and cooking before the lotus root had completely thawed - this meant prodding at the root pieces with my spatula, trying to wrench the frozen chunks apart, and then having a lot of extra water to cook off.  I hope that if I show some patience next time the lotus roots might look a little more crunchy and brown like Gem's.  Actually if I do show some patience next time, there's a good chance that Michael will take charge of the wok; he was a huge fan even of this first attempt.

Caramelised lotus root
(adapted from Soupurban, where it's credited to Kylie Kwong)

2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 large cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 generous tablespoon minced ginger
454g packet frozen sliced lotus root, thawed
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons tamari
1 large red chilli, finely sliced

Let the lotus root thaw.  Let the lotus root thaw.  Only then should you heat the oil in a wok, adding the garlic and ginger.  Stir-fry them for a minute or so, add the lotus root and stir-fry for a few more minutes.  Stir through the sugar, vinegar and tamari.  When the root pieces have a nice thick caramel coating, add the chilli and stir-fry for a final minute before serving.