Lotus is a crunchy root vegetable which features in many Asian dishes and comes with a whole host of health benefits. It is high in vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant, high in fibre and is a great source of protein. It is a versatile vegetable that can be cooked in so many interesting and delicious ways like this simple stir-fry lotus dish made with shiitake mushrooms and generous servings of spicy doubanjiang/豆瓣醬 and topped with garlic chives.
Doubanjiang is a delicious fermented chilli bean paste condiment used extensively in Chinese cooking. We cook with this condiment in many of our Chinese dishes, and my mother loves to put it in her delicious mapo tofu to give it that extra spicy kick.
This stir-fry dish can be served as a main with a side of rice and vegetables or can accompany a range of dishes as part of a bigger meal.
Prep: 20 Min | Cook: 20 Min | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 medium lotus root (chop ends off, run water through the holes to clean thoroughly, peel. Wash again until all the mud is washed off, slice into ½ cm thick slices)
- 5 large shiitake mushrooms (chop the rough part at the end of the stem, then slice)
- 2-3 garlic chive stalks (finely chop – you can use every part of this including the yellow flower at the end)
- 1 tsp small thumb of ginger (peel and finely chop)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce or liquid aminos (GF option)
- 3-4 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp doubanjiang (chilli bean paste or sub with any other chilli sauce you may have) If based in Hong Kong you can try this from Foodcraft or at the supermarket
- 3 tbsp neutral oil for cooking (such as a olive oil or sunflower oil)
Method
- Start with cooking the sliced lotus first. Ensure it is completely clean, and properly prepared before cooking (see above in ingredients). Add 2 tbsp oil in a large pan/ wok, turn the heat to medium. When warm, add the lotus and fry for around 5-8 minutes. Turn each piece around as it is cooking, when each side starts to lightly brown, take off the heat and place on a plate. Leave to one side.
- Add more oil (1 tbsp) to the pan/wok and fry the ginger followed by the shiitake. Add the sauces and rice vinegar and fry for a few minutes stir constantly, making sure it doesn’t stick to the pan. Fry until the mushrooms start to cook through and shrink slightly.
- Add the sesame oil and add the lotus back in, stir.
- Add the doubanjiang, and lightly coat all over the lotus and shiitake. Sprinkle the garlic chives, stir.
- Serve topped with more garlic chives and a sprinkle of fried shallots.