homemade

Lotus Root Stir-fry

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椒麻醋溜蓮藕

As someone who is a self-diagnosed trypophobic, it’s a little strange that I love lotus root as much as I do. Not only are they cool-looking, but the crunchy texture is unlike anything else. The following is an easy recipe mom uses for a quick veggie side dish. It takes 15 minutes to make and is a great textural add to any family meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 lotus root
  • 1 red chili pepper
  • 1 tsp Szechuan peppercorn
  • 1 tsp neutral cooking oil
  • 1/2 tsp vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Peel lotus and cut into thin slices.
  2. Cut chili pepper into thin slices.
  3. Rinse lotus slices in water to remove starch
  4. Heat cooking oil in wok and roast the peppercorn until browned. Remove the peppercorns from the oil and discard.
  5. Add chili, stir for a minute. Then add lotus, soy sauce, sugar, salt. Stir fry for about 5 minutes
  6. Drizzle vinegar, mix, stir briefly, then serve hot.

Water Lotus Vegetable

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水蓮

I first encountered this vegetable as a side dish at a casual bbq restaurant in Zhubei. We were looking for a bit o’ greens to go with our otherwise quite meat-heavy meal, and this ended up being so delicious, we got a second round.

It is so flavorful, with a bit of crunch, and not fibrous at all (so you’re not chewing forever and ever). After falling in love with it, we ordered it as a side dish every chance we got. In most cases, the preparation involved garlic, ginger, and mushrooms, though I think this veggie could be good just about any way you prepare it.

On our most recent trip, we went to the traditional market and saw water lotus at our favorite vegetable stand. Here it is coiled up in its packaging at the market. Look at how long it is once you unfurl it!

Dad ended up preparing this with mushrooms and a bit of pork:

What I’ve learned about water lotus since:

  • The vegetable is actually the stem of an aquatic plant that is native to tropical Asia. Most of the plant grows under water which is why it’s so succulent!
  • It goes by several names including crested floating heart (because of the way the plant leaves float on the water’s surface) and white water snowflake because of the little white flowers that bloom.
  • The latin name is Nymphoides hydrophylla.
  • It’s associated with Meinong, a township in southern Taiwan close to Kaohsiung.
  • It’s almost impossible to find this vegetable in the States (typical of a lot of Taiwan’s best produce)

Chinese Cold Noodles Recipe

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Happy Summer Solstice! Chinese cold noodles or Liang Mian (涼麵) is a deliciously savory yet refreshing snack or meal that’s perfect for hot summer days. It’s a great dish to take to picnics, barbecues, camping…

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Chinese French Fries

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When we were little, my mom used to name some of her classic dishes after more westernized foods so that my sister and I would be more receptive to them. Of course, this was before I became the worldly, confident individual I am now*. At the time, as a second-generation kid growing up in America, I’d much preferred a McDonald’s Happy Meal to whatever delicious five-dish Chinese meal my mom was preparing. It took me leaving home (for college) to really appreciate the home cooking I had taken for granted all that time.

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Zha Jiang Mian: An Addendum and an Amendment

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A few months back, I published a recipe for Chinese Spaghetti (aka Zha Jiang Mian). This was my 3rd or 4th time making this dish, so naturally, I undeservedly felt like a pro. That is, until my mother dearest momsplained all the ways in which I messed up. So recently, I revisited this dish, using mom’s suggestions and adding a little flair of my own.

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East Meets West: Shrimp Toast

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As I was perusing the latest issue of Bon Appétit, I happened upon a recipe that mom could get down with: Shrimp Toast. It’s got the taste and texture of the classic dim sum shrimp ball, and the archetypal Americana charm of white bread with the crusts cut off. This was the runaway hit at our Sunday night pot luck dinner so you can bet we’ll be making it again soon.

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Gallery

Dumplings With Dad

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Dad was home this week for a business trip so we were fortunate to have several family meals together. For our Thursday night meal, mom sentenced us to 30 minutes dumpling hard labor upon walking in the door. To be fair, although these dumplings were wrapped by dad and myself, much of the work of making the actual dumpling fillings (in this case, chives, pork, shrimp) was done in advance by mom. Thanks, Mom!

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Saucy, Shelled, Stir-fried Shrimp

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Mom and I couldn’t agree on a name for this dish. The direct Chinese translation (油爆蝦) is Oil Pop Shrimp – which kind of sounds like a pimple gone wrong.

Mom has been making this dish since I can remember and to be honest, I wasn’t always a huge fan of it. Not because it’s not delicious (which it is), but mostly because I’m a lazy eater and to truly enjoy this dish, you gotta work for it.

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