I've had lotus on my mind for a couple months now. During our recent trip to Taipei, we stumbled upon a beautiful lotus pond in full, stunning bloom. The perfect, pink blossoms were absolutely stunning. We returned to Japan and I immediately scheduled a visit to Yokohama's Sankeien Gardens famous lotus pond. I had to see more! The traditional, Japanese shops have (of course) gotten into the spirit by setting up little lotus-themed displays, complete with lotus-scented incense and lotus-printed washcloths. All this lotus-viewing excitement inspired me- what a perfect time to learn to cook with lotus!
Renkon- aka lotus root- is a very popular vegetable in Japan. Packed with fiber and vitamins, lotus root is also extremely starchy. In addition to its edible qualities, traditional Asian medicine prizes lotus root for its ability to increase energy and vitality. Both of which I could use in spades. More lotus root, please!
Lotus root is also one of the few Asian foods that I recognized upon moving to Japan- dried lotus slices and pods are stock items in floral design studios. I've never tried to cook with lotus, though. Recipes using lotus root aren't exactly filling up the English-language cookbooks. I was flipping through one of my Japanese cookbooks* last week, trying to figure out what to make for dinner, when I suddenly spotted a salad recipe that used lotus root. I quickly scanned it. A recipe using lotus root and only a few other ingredients? That's my kind of deployment cooking!
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| For my salad recipe, I had to purchase the lotus root, tomato, snow peas, and cucumber. The salad's remaining ingredients were already in my refrigerator or cupboards. The extras- peaches (heavenly), roasted peas (Little TF snack), fresh salmon (to go with the lotus salad), and bento (my lunch)- brought my total to 1650 yen. Not bad! |
Step 1. Prepare the lotus root.
- Cut the lotus root into thin (3mm) rounds and soak in vinegared water for 5 minutes (this is what will keep your lotus root from turning brown). Briefly blanch the sliced root in boiling water.
- In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and let cool. Soak the blanched lotus root in the marinade until flavored, about 20 minutes.
Step 2. Prepare the red onion.
- Slice the red onion into very thin slices. If the onion is bitter, soak in ice-cold water to crisp it and remove harshness. Drain well.
Step 3. Prepare the snow peas.
- Have ice water ready in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring salted water to a boil. Boil the snow peas for about two minutes.
- Drain the snow peas and put them in the ice water to stop cooking. Drain.
Step 4. Prep the cucumber and tomato.
- Cut the tomato into 6-8 wedges. Lightly pound the cucumber to soften it, so that the dressing can penetrate. Cut the cucumber into 1 1/4 inch lengths.
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| Sliced lotus is so pretty! |
For the dressing:
- In a medium bowl, beat egg yolk and gradually add 5 Tbsp of the vegetable oil, first drop by drop, then in a very thin stream whisking vigorously all the while. The oil should be completely emulsified. Mix in miso, sudachi citrus juice, and soy sauce. Adjust thickness with more vegetable oil, if needed.
Pat dry the onion and snow peas. Arrange vegetables in a serving dish. Spoon on the dressing and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Enjoy this fresh and beautiful salad! Itadakimasu!
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| The lightly cooked lotus root had a very light taste with a satisfying crunch. It reminded me a little bit of a water chestnut, as far as texture went. My salad bowl, a repurposed noodle bowl that I found in Kappabashi, is decorated with a traditional, ocean wave pattern. |
Ingredients:
Marinade for lotus root-
1/3 cup water 1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp rice vinegar Pinch of salt
2 small to medium best vine-ripened tomatoes
1 Japanese cucumber or 1/3 English cucumber, unpeeled
2/3 oz. lotus root
1/4 medium red onion
4-8 whole snow peas
2 tsp. white sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Dressing-
1 large egg yolk 1/4 cup sudachi citrus or lemon juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp soy sauce
Scant 1/2 cup yellow miso
Note: I got home from the grocery store and realized that I was out of eggs and miso. I'm not a huge raw egg fan anyways, so I just left that out. I substituted dashi for the miso. Dashi is extremely salty, so be careful not to add too much!
* This recipe is from Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook, by Mark Robinson.
Disclaimer: I do my best to make sure all my information is accurate. However, details may change or I may just be flat-out wrong. Please let me know if something needs a correction. Thank-you!
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