Stir Fried Lotus Root in Garlic Sauce features crunchy lotus root tossed in a tangy garlic sauce. Healthy, nutritious, and incredibly delicious. Ready in only about 15 minutes!
Lotus root is very popular in Asian cuisine, especially in Chinese and Japanese dishes. You'll often find it in soups and stir-fried vegetables, but lotus root can also be deep-fried, braised or steamed. It adds a very nice crunchy texture to any dish and can also be a star ingredient. In addition to being very versatile, lotus root is packed with vitamins and minerals. It has a very light, neutral flavor that can pair with just about any sauce.
You can buy fresh lotus root in most Asian supermarkets. Fresh lotus root is often sold in "sticks" with several segments; almost like a sausage link. They don't look like much on the outside, but once you slice into them, they reveal a beautiful flowery pattern on the inside.
Use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin off the lotus root, then cut it into thin slices. If your lotus root is very large, cut the rounds into halves or into quarters so that they are bite-sized. This recipe calls for 2 cups. If you will be slicing the lotus root well ahead of time before stir frying them, put them in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from turning brown.
Next, prepare the sauce by combining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar.
In a small separate bowl, mix ¾ teaspoon of cornstarch in 1 ½ tablespoons of water. Stir well to remove all the clumps.
Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok over medium-high heat. As soon as the wok starts to smoke a little, add the lotus root slices. Stir-fry the lotus root slices until they turn slightly brown; about 2 minutes.
Add the chopped garlic to the wok, and stir-fry until aromatic; about 20 seconds.
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Stir in the sauce. Give everything a good stir to coat the lotus root slices in the sauce. This should take just a few seconds.
Drizzle in the cornstarch mixture. The sauce will start to thicken immediately so give it a quick stir, then turn off the heat.
Transfer the dish to a serving plate, then garnish with chopped scallions and thinly sliced red chili.
Enjoy with a bowl of steamed rice.
Stir Fried Lotus Root in Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups thinly sliced lotus root
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 - 3 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce by combining soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, dark soy sauce and brown sugar.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the cornstarch with water. Stir well to remove any clumps.
- Heat cooking oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add lotus root slices and stir-fry until slightly brown; about 2 minutes.
- Add garlic to the wok and stir-fry until aromatic; about 20 seconds.
- Stir in the sauce, toss to coat the lotus root slices.
- Drizzle in the cornstarch mixture. It should thicken immediately. Give it a quick stir, then turn off the heat.
- Transfer the dish to a serving plate, then garnish with scallions and red chili.
Nutrition
Joy says
Just wanted to leave a note to say that this recipe was AWESOME! We loved it!
Char says
Hi Joy, Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, and for taking the time to leave a note here. I'm so glad you liked it! Have a great day! 🙂
Shelley says
Is there anything you can substitute for dark soy sauce?
Char says
Hi Shelley! The dark soy sauce is mostly for the color rather than the flavor so feel free to omit it from this recipe 🙂
Diane says
Most recipes for Lotus root say to boil the roots for 5 mins as tough or fry thin slices. You use the cut lotus roots directly in the pan. Will they cook and be crispy?
Char says
Hi Diane! You could boil the lotus roots if you prefer a softer texture, but it is not necessary for this stir-fry. They will be crunchy but cooked through. Hope this helps!
Rose says
Hi, just want to say the kids loved it's crunchy texture.
This recipe is definitely for keeps. Thanks for sharing it.
Char says
Thank you for giving this recipe a try, Rose! So glad you and your family enjoyed it ❤️? I love the crunchy texture as well!
Barbs says
Hi Char,
Trying the recipe for the first time.
Is there a substitution form the apple cider vinegar?
Char says
Hi Barbs! You can use rice vinegar, if you have it, or white vinegar mixed with 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar. Hope that helps!