Lotus Stem Manchurian

Lotus stem or lotus root is widely used in Indian, Chinese and Japanese cooking. Up until 2017 lotus stem was something exotic for me and I had never tasted it. In 2017, we had been to a restaurant Burma Burma in Bangalore for our weekend dinner and that’s when I got to eat these lotus stems in the form of spicy chips. They were spicy and so crispy, that I couldn’t stop with just one. After that I tried getting my hands on these lotus stems but at the same time was afraid to try making something using them. Fast forward to 2020, when I found these sliced stems in frozen foods section of an Asian store, I bagged one small pack and finally made this dish, Lotus stem Manchurian. It turned out to be so amazing, that I regretted not picking up a bigger pack of the lotus stem. This is a simple Indo-Chinese recipe where battered fried slices of lotus stem are cooked in a base sauce of onions, ginger garlic, soy sauce and tomato puree. So let us get on to cooking this dish. Keep scrolling for a bowl full of yumminess.

INGREDIENTS

Serves- 2-3

• Lotus stem-250gm
• Cornflour-¼ cup
• All-purpose flour -¼ cup
• Paprika/Red chilli powder- 1tsp
• Red food color (Optional) – A small pinch
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – to deep fry
• Onion -1 medium finely chopped
• Ginger- 1 tbsp finely chopped
• Garlic- 1 tbsp finely chopped
• Green chillies- ½ tbsp finely chopped
• Tomato puree – 4 tbsp
• Dark Soy sauce – 1tbsp
• Tomato ketchup- 3 tbsp
• Lime juice – 1-2 tsp
• Onion greens/scallions – Finely chopped, to garnish

METHOD

1.Wash the sliced lotus stems and soak in ice cold water until ready to use. I used frozen stems, so I just thawed it on the counter and washed it once. If using fresh ones, make sure to clean them properly before slicing.

2.In a bowl mix in the cornflour, all-purpose flour, chilli powder/paprika, salt and the red food colour.

3.Add in water slowly and with a whisk keep mixing to get a smooth, lump free thick batter.

4.Drain the sliced lotus stem completely and add it to the batter. Mix well till the slices are coated properly.

5.Heat oil in a wok/kadai. Once hot, deep fry the batter coated stems in batches till they turn crispy.

6.Drain on a tissue and set aside.

7.In another pan heat 2 tbsp oil and add in the finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Fry till the onion starts browning.

8.Add in the tomato puree, soy sauce and tomato ketchup and mix well.

9.Cook till the mixture starts bubbling. Add in the lime juice and mix well.

10.Now add in the fried lotus stem and mix well.

11.Take off the flame and garnish with scallions/onion greens.

12.Serve hot with a dish of your choice preferably with fried rice, stir fried noodles or even with a simple soup.

NOTES

1. The lotus stems should be sliced thin to get the crispy texture.
2. The batter should be thick in order to coat on the lotus stem properly.
3. After adding the puree and sauces, check for salt. If you feel it’s less, add some for a full flavour.
4. Adding more ginger garlic imparts a very beautiful flavour to this dish.
5. Don’t add water to the onion-sauce mix.
6. Lime juice is optional, but adding it balances the tastes.