Delicious stir-fried dishes are always an essential part of the family meal due to their rich flavors and appealing taste that goes well with rice. Today, let’s join TasteVN in the kitchen to make 2 delicious and simple dishes: fried lotus stem with pork and fried lotus stem with chicken!
1. Fried lotus stem with pork
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Preparation
25 minutes
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Cooking
15 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Fried lotus stem with pork Serves 4
Pork 300 g Lotus stem 500 g Lemon 1 piece Green onions 3 sprigs Garlic 3 cloves Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Fish sauce 1 teaspoon Common spices a little (sugar/ salt/ monosodium glutamate/ ground pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh pork
- Fresh pork should have dry meat, not slimy, a bright red-pink color, and the characteristic smell of pork.
- It is advisable to buy firm pieces of meat that are elastic, where pressing your finger into the meat leaves a dent but does not leave a mark when you lift your finger, and the meat fibers are even.
- Meat that has been treated with chemicals will have a rather appealing color but will be dry, with tough fibers, and will not stick to your hand when touched; cutting it open reveals mushy insides and an odor, and pressing your finger into it leaves no elasticity. You should definitely not buy this.
- Avoid purchasing meat with a layer of lean close to the skin that is bright red, as this meat may have been injected with a type of growth stimulant.
How to Prepare Stir-Fried Lotus Stem with Pork
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Prepare the Ingredients
Cut the lotus stem into pieces about 3 finger lengths and soak in a large bowl of diluted lemon water for about 15 – 20 minutes to prevent browning, then drain.
Remove the roots from the green onions, discard any wilted leaves, wash thoroughly, and chop finely. Peel the garlic, wash, and mince it finely.
To eliminate the unpleasant smell from the pork, blanch it in boiling water, then wash thoroughly and cut into thin, bite-sized pieces.
Simple Ways to Remove the Smell from Pork- Before cooking, blanch the pork in boiling water for about 3 minutes, then rinse it several times with cold water before continuing to prepare.
- You can also use diluted salt water to remove the smell of pork. Before cooking or storing it in the refrigerator, soak the meat in diluted salt water for about 15 – 20 minutes. After that, rinse several times with clean water.
- Alternatively, you can use a multifunctional ozone generator to eliminate the smell of meat by rinsing it for 10 – 15 minutes.
See details: Simple Ways to Remove the Smell from Pork
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Stir-fried lotus stem
Marinate the meat with 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 3 spoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper. Mix well and let it marinate for about 20 minutes for the meat to absorb the flavors.
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Stir-fried lotus stem with pork
Place a pan on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, and wait for the oil to heat up before adding minced garlic to fry until fragrant. When the garlic is golden, add the marinated pork and stir-fry.
When the meat is browned, add the lotus stem along with 50ml of water to help the lotus stem cook easily, stir-fry for about 7 – 10 minutes, then add the lotus stem and stir continuously over high heat.
Stir-fry until the lotus stem and meat are cooked, then add chopped green onions, and stir for an additional 2 minutes. Next, adjust the seasoning to taste, then turn off the heat and serve on a plate.
Tip: To keep the ingredients crispy and delicious, you should stir-fry quickly over high heat; do not stir-fry for too long as it will become mushy!
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Final Product
So with just a few simple ingredients and a little time, anyone of us can make this delicious and nutritious dish that adds variety to our family meals.
Crispy white lotus stem eaten with sweet chewy pork stir-fried soaked in spices, along with finely chopped scallions makes the dish more visually appealing. Why hesitate? Let’s get started on making this stir-fried lotus stem with pork to treat our family!
2. Stir-fried lotus stem with chicken
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
15 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Stir-fried lotus stem with chicken For 4 people
Lotus stem 300 gr Chicken 200 gr Garlic 3 cloves Lemon 3 fruits Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Common seasoning a little (salt/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate/ pepper)
How to choose fresh and delicious chicken
- Good chicken will have a characteristic shiny yellow skin. The outer skin is thin, smooth to the touch, not too rough, and has good elasticity.
- The meat inside the chicken has a natural pinkish-red color, not too pale or too dark. Especially, the chicken meat should not have bruises or blood clots. Parts of the meat that are slightly pale or turning darker gray indicate that the chickens died before being processed.
- If purchasing pre-processed and packaged chicken, carefully observe the expiration date and packaging date, and check if the seal on the bag is intact.
See details: How to choose fresh and quality chicken
How to prepare Stir-fried lotus stem with chicken
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Prepare the ingredients
Cut the lotus stem into pieces about 2 finger lengths and soak them in a bowl of diluted lemon water to prevent browning. Rinse the lotus stem several times in water, then remove and drain.
Peeled garlic, wash, and then mince finely.
Wash the chicken, cut into small bite-sized pieces.
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Stir-fried lotus stem
Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to a hot pan and sauté minced garlic until fragrant. When the garlic turns golden and releases a pleasant aroma, add the chicken and stir-fry quickly over high heat, seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate.
When the chicken is cooked, add the lotus stem and continue to stir-fry for 3 minutes to let the lotus stem absorb the seasonings, then cover for another 2 minutes until the lotus stem and chicken are fully cooked. Adjust the seasoning to taste, turn off the heat, and transfer the stir-fried lotus stem to a plate.
Serve the plate of hot, crispy stir-fried lotus stem at the table, sprinkling a little pepper on top to enhance the dish’s enticing aroma.
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Finished product
The lotus stem is delicious, white, crispy, and juicy, stir-fried with tender, sweet, and flavorful chicken, making it a perfect accompaniment to rice. This dish is simple yet extremely easy to eat and tantalizes the taste buds.
<p.So why wait? Let's get started on stir-frying a plate of lotus stem with chicken to treat your family!
How to choose delicious lotus stems
- Delicious lotus stems are fresh, with stems that are not too thick or too thin.
- The stems of lotus are slightly dark or muddy, indicating they have not been bleached and are safe to use.
- Do not choose lotus stems that are pure white as they may have been bleached.
- Do not buy lotus stems that are mushy, bruised, rotten, or slimy, as they will feel sticky and soft.
How to prepare crunchy white lotus stems
- First, you need to clean the lotus stems with clean water, breaking them into small pieces about 4 – 6cm long. Then immediately soak the lotus stems in a mixture of: 100ml of vinegar and 2 liters of water.
- Next, wrap the lotus stems tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator or in a cool place for a few hours before using. This method helps the lotus stems expel dirt and also creates a crunchiness.
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The above is a guide on how to make 2 dishes of stir-fried lotus stems with pork and chicken that are flavorful, delicious, and extremely simple and easy to make for anyone. Wishing you success with these 2 recipes!
