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Simmered Lotus Root (Renkon no kinpira)


An easy Japanese stir fry veggie dish
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Asian-American, Japanese
Keyword: black fungus, Carrots, Kimpira, lotus root

Ingredients

The Star

  • 2-2.5 cups lotus root peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 Cups water or enough water to cover lotus root
  • 2 Tsp vinegar

The Supporting Cast

  • 1/2 cup carrots julienned
  • 1 T dried cloud ear mushrooms Once soaked will yield about 1/3 cup
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari

To Finish:

  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • dash of chili flakes or 1 small fresh chili pepper, thinly sliced, for milder version de-seed and de-vein pepper optional (shichimi togarashi is recommended)
  • 1 stalk green onion, diced optional

Instructions

  • Soak the lotus slices in cold water and vinegar for 10 minutes and drain and rinse a couple of times.
  • In a large saucepan over high heat, warm both oils. Once hot, add the lotus root slices and cook until they become soft, 4-5 minutes. Add carrots halfway through cooking time. Stir in the mirin, soy sauce/tamari and reduce heat to low. Add cloud ears when you add the sauce ingredients to pan.
  • Simmer until the marinade has almost disappeared.
  • Remove from heat, sprinkle with sesame seeds and shichimi togarashi prior to serving.