← Nouns Cooking · Korean

Ingredients

• 450 g Lotus root
• 1 tbsp White vinegar
• 250 ml Water
• 1 piece dried kelp (about 8 cm square) (optional)
• 4 tbsp Soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Mirin
• 1½ tbsp Brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp rice syrup, corn syrup or golden syrup
• 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp Sesame seeds

Method

1. Peel the lotus root and slice it into 5 mm rounds. Soak in water with the vinegar for 10 min to keep it white and wash off some starch.
2. Blanch the slices in boiling water with a splash of vinegar for 3–4 min, then drain.
3. Put the lotus root in a wide pan with the 250 ml water, kelp, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and oil. Bring to the boil and simmer over medium-low heat for 20–25 min, stirring now and then, until most of the liquid has gone. Remove the kelp.
4. Add the syrup and cook over medium heat for 3–5 min, tossing, until the slices are dark, shiny and sticky.
5. Off the heat, stir in the sesame oil and seeds. Serve at room temperature; it keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Tips

• The longer you braise, the chewier the lotus root gets; stop earlier if you like it crunchier.
• Vacuum-packed pre-sliced lotus root from Asian grocers skips the peeling and soaking.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Korean Bapsang Beyond Kimchee FutureDish