Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 14 minutes

Serves: 2 people as a side dish

Calories: 524

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The perfect vegetarian dish – crispy lotus root with a spicy Szechuan salt seasoning and garlic and green onions topping.

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium-sized fresh lotus roots, peeled (about 400g)
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 ½ tablespoons corn or safflower oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon red chili, ground
  • 2 tablespoons rice, ground
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 green onion stalks, finely chopped
  • 1 green chili, finely chopped

 

For Szechuan Salt Pepper Seasoning:

  • 2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt (any coarse salt will do)
  • 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper

 

Instructions:

  1. Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
  2. Slice lotus root into thin slices along the diagonal. Use only very fresh lotus root, so it does not dry out while roasting in the oven.
  3. Combine lotus root with sesame oil, ½ tablespoon cooking oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ground red chili, and ground rice. Place on a non-stick or oiled baking tray in a single layer, and roast lotus roots pieces in a hot oven for 4 minutes. Remove the tray, flip pieces and place back in the oven for another 4 minutes, or until crisp and edges slightly browned. Remove and keep warm in a serving bowl.
  4. In the meantime, while lotus roots pieces are cooking, combine kosher or other coarse salts, Szechuan pepper, and black peppercorns. Roughly crush in a mortar or in a coffee grinder or food processor.
  5. Heat the remaining oil in a 6” frying pan on medium heat. Add garlic. Stir fry for 1 minute.
  6. Add garlic, chili, and green onions and stir fry for another minute. Pour mixture over lotus root pieces. Top pieces with about 1 teaspoon of the salt mixture. Serve remaining seasoning in a separate bowl for diners to enjoy.

 

Critical Ingredients:

Lotus root is unique in flavour and texture and is basic to this recipe. Use the freshest root you can find as it will dry up in the oven, especially with rice powder that absorbs water and enhances crispness. Szechuan pepper is also a critical ingredient as it forms the base for the flavour. You can substitute ground chili with black pepper. The green chili can be substituted with jalapenos.

Crispy Lotus Root Pepper Salt

Crispy Lotus Root Pepper Salt

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