Sweet and Sour Fresh Lotus Root
A traditional vegetarian dish from Zhejiang: fresh lotus root is battered and fried until golden, then dressed with a sweet-and-sour glaze for a crisp, tangy finish.
Ingredients
Fresh lotus root (middle section, ends removed, peeled, washed, cut into 3.5 cm long x 1 cm wide strips)
300 g
Flour
10 g
Cooked vegetable oil (for frying)
750 g (about 75 g used)
Sesame oil (drizzled at the end)
10 g
Baking soda (mixed into the batter)
1 g
Wet starch (for thickening)
15 g
Soybean-based vegetable broth
100 g
Fine salt
2 g
Soy sauce
15 g
Vinegar
20 g
MSG
2 g
White sugar
25 g
Water (for mixing the batter)
100 g
Instructions
1
Cut the lotus root into strips
Remove the joints from the middle section of the lotus root, peel it, wash it, and cut into 3.5 cm long x 1 cm wide strips.
2
Mix the batter
Combine the flour, fine salt, and MSG in a bowl, add 100 g of water and whisk into a batter, then stir the baking soda into the batter.
3
First fry
Place a wok over medium heat and heat the vegetable oil to about 125°C (roughly 50% hot). Toss the lotus root strips in the batter to coat evenly, then slide them into the oil one by one and fry until lightly golden. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and discard any loose bits.
4
Second fry
When the oil temperature climbs back to about 150°C (roughly 60% hot), return the lotus root strips to the wok and fry again until lightly golden, then lift out and discard any loose bits.
5
Third fry
Once the oil temperature returns to about 60% hot, return the lotus root strips to the wok and fry until deep golden. Pour them into a slotted spoon and drain off all the oil.
6
Finish with sauce
Add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, white sugar, and vinegar to the wok and thicken with the wet starch. When the sauce becomes rich and glossy, add the fried lotus root strips and toss the wok quickly to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve immediately.
