By Herb Pilles
You can’t wander through a Singapore wet
market without noticing that stuff in the mud that someone is always scraping
away at. What is that stuff, and what do
you do with it? Well, it’s lotus root,
and once it’s cleaned up, you can take it home to meet the family. They will be glad you did! (You can also buy
lotus root in the supermarket, shiny and clean and shrink-wrapped, but what’s the fun in that?)
Lotus root is incredibly versatile. It can be eaten raw, boiled, braised, deep
fried, stir fried, steamed, sautéed, curried, or tempura’d. No matter what, it will always be crispy and
crunchy, but tender at the same time.
It’s delicious and packs an impressive range of health benefits,
including fibre, vitamins C and B-6, and some important minerals. For centuries, lotus root has held a special
place in the culinary traditions of India, China, Japan, South East Asia, and
the Pacific.
We are going to make chips with it, known as
renkon chips in Japan.
Peel the tubers with a vegetable peeler and
slice them cross-ways, as thin as you can with a sharp knife. Soak in a bowl of water with a squeeze of
lemon juice, to keep the lotus from turning brown. If you don’t care, skip this step. Dry the lotus slices between paper or cotton
towels. In a shallow pan, heat vegetable
oil to medium high. Slide the lotus
slices into the hot oil, and remove with a slotted spoon when they are nice and
golden. No need to turn them. Drain on paper towels or on a small plate
inverted inside a larger plate. Sprinkle
with coarse sea salt, and crushed dry seaweed flakes.
Crunchy and delicious! Enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment