Language, food, stories & everyday life. A student-led magazine from Britain Newsletter

A closer look at language, places and everyday life in China.

Explore ChinaMy reading room Read stories, saved reads & charactersMy Chinese Kitchen
AboutMy reads

Towards China · towardschina.co.uk

Medium · Your kitchen, your pace

Spicy lotus-root stir-fry

Lotus root’s holes show up when you cut it across the stem.

Ingredients Let’s make it
Spicy lotus-root stir-fry served ready to eat.
Prep
12 min
Cook
8 min
Total
20 min
Makes
Serves 2

Your new skill: Practise timing and combining the separate parts.

Lotus root’s holes show up when you cut it across the stem. A short blanch keeps the slices crisp before they meet chilli-bean paste.

Your ingredients

Get ready: Peeler, knife, saucepan, colander and wok or frying pan.

  • 320 g lotus root
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tbsp Sichuan chilli bean paste
  • 4 fresh chillies, sliced
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 1 spring onions, finely chopped

Let’s make it

  1. Slice the root

    Peel fresh lotus root, trim dark ends and cut thinly across the stem. Rinse the slices. For frozen lotus root, follow packet preparation directions.

  2. Blanch first

    Boil fresh slices in water for about 2 minutes, until cooked but still crisp. Drain very well.

  3. Fry the flavourings

    Heat oil and briefly stir-fry garlic with chilli-bean paste until fragrant. Add lotus root and sliced fresh chilli to taste.

  4. Coat and finish

    Toss until the slices are evenly coated and thoroughly hot. Add the pinch of sugar and spring onion, give a final stir and serve.

What to try next

For another kitchen idea, explore Garlic pak choi and Egg fried rice.

Keeping it: Cool promptly, put in a covered fridge container within 1–2 hours and use within 48 hours. Reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.

Cooked it? Give your chef panda a kitchen win.

Keep your apron handy

What shall we cook next?

All recipes ↗
Easy20 min

Warm black-sesame soup

Toasted black sesame seeds make a dark, nutty dessert soup. Cooked rice thickens it, while a few walnuts add richness. A blender handles the grinding.

Let’s cook
Medium5 hr 20 min

Chinese barbecue pork ribs

A char siu-style marinade makes these oven ribs sticky and aromatic. They need fridge time before cooking, so plan this one ahead.

Let’s cook