Lotus root is a nutritious food that can be made into many delicious dishes besides the familiar dessert that you often know. Let’s explore with the cooking section of TasteVN how to make lotus root stuffed with beef and crispy fried fish cakes!
1. Crispy fried lotus root stuffed with beef
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
15 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Crispy Fried Lotus Root Stuffed with Beef For 3 people
Beef 150 gr Lotus root 200 gr Carrot 20 gr Red onion 20 gr Green onion 10 gr Frying flour 30 gr Seasoning 1 teaspoon Sugar 1/2 teaspoon Pepper 1/2 teaspoon Oyster sauce 1 teaspoon Sesame oil 1 teaspoon
How to choose good beef
- Choose beef that is bright red, with small and tender fibers.
- The fat should be light yellow.
- When pressing on the beef fibers, it should not stick to your hand and should not have any foul or strange smell.
- Avoid choosing beef that is dark red and has dark yellow fat, with large fibers, as it is old beef, which will be tough to eat.
Tools needed
How to make crispy fried lotus root stuffed with beef
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Preparation of ingredients
Wash the various vegetables and prepare them as follows:
Lotus root: peel, soak in diluted saltwater for about 10 minutes to reduce browning, then slice thinly about 0.3cm thick. After that, continue to soak the thin lotus root slices in a bowl of diluted saltwater for 5 minutes, then remove, rinse with clean water, and drain.
Beef: slice small and put it in the blender to grind into a paste.
Green onions, carrots: chop finely.
Shallots: peel and mince.
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Marinate the meat
You marinate the minced beef in order with 1 teaspoon of seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.
Then, add all the sliced onion, carrot, and shallots (that have been prepared) into the meat mixture, then mix well and let it absorb the spices for about 10 minutes.
Next, you use another bowl, add the crispy frying flour with 1/3 teaspoon of seasoning and 1/3 teaspoon of pepper, and mix well.
Tip:
- When marinating the meat, you can substitute sesame oil with cooking oil.
- You can replace the crispy frying flour with wheat flour.
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Stuff the filling
First, you boil the slices of lotus root in a pot of water for about 20 minutes, just until the lotus root is soft depending on your preference. Then, take them out to drain.
Next, take 1 slice of lotus root, scoop a moderate amount of meat filling on top, spread the filling evenly, and place another slice of lotus root on the surface. Thus, you have completed the stuffed lotus root, continue to do the same with the remaining lotus root slices and the meat until finished.
Tip: To make the stuffed lotus root look delicious and attractive, you need to slice the lotus root without breaking it. At the same time, use just enough filling, keep the filling contained within the slice of lotus root, and press the two slices of lotus root together firmly to stick them.
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Frying Lotus Root
Place a pan of oil on the stove, wait for the oil to heat up by dipping the tips of chopsticks to see if bubbles appear around them. If so, the oil is hot.
At the same time, dip both sides of the lotus root slices stuffed with meat into the batter, and put them into the hot oil pan over high heat. Fry until both sides of the lotus root are evenly golden, then remove and drain the oil.
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Final Product
The lotus root stuffed with beef has a crispy golden exterior; when you eat it, you can feel the rich flavor of the lotus root and the tender, flavorful beef. You can dip the lotus root stuffed with beef in chili sauce or mix in a bit of mayonnaise for a delicious taste.
2. Crispy Fish Cake Stuffed Lotus Root
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
15 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Crispy Fish Cake Stuffed Lotus Root Serves 3
Lotus root 200 gr Basa fish cake 100 gr Fish paste 100 gr Cilantro 20 gr Bell pepper 20 gr Green onions 20 gr MSG 1 teaspoon Crispy dry batter 100 gr (with seasoning) Fermented rice vinegar 1 teaspoon Mayonnaise 2 tablespoons Chili sauce. 1 tablespoon
Ingredient Image
How to prepare Fried Fish Cake Lotus Root Sandwich
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Prepare the ingredients
First, peel the lotus root and slice it about 2cm thick, then soak it in a bowl of diluted vinegar water (1/2 bowl of water + 1 teaspoon of vinegar) to help the lotus root stay whiter.
Next, prepare the following ingredients:
- Lotus root: use 2 slices to chop finely.
- Green onion, coriander, and chili: chop finely.
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Marinate the fish cake
Add the basa fish cake and the minced meat (fresh sausage) into a large bowl, then gradually add the ingredients: finely chopped lotus root, 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander, 1 tablespoon of chopped green onion, 1 tablespoon of chopped chili, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and 1 teaspoon of pepper, mix and knead the filling thoroughly to help the spices penetrate and make the filling chewier.
Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes.
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Stuffing
You take the lotus root after soaking it in diluted vinegar, rinse it with clean water, and let it drain.
Then, you scoop a moderate amount of fish cake filling into one slice of lotus root, evenly spread the filling before taking another slice of lotus root to place on top. Now you have completed the lotus root sandwich with fish cake.
Similarly, you do the same with the remaining lotus root and fish cake filling.
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Frying lotus root
You put the dry batter for frying (the one with seasoning) into a bowl. Meanwhile, you place a pan of oil on the stove, wait for the oil to heat up, then roll the lotus root sandwiches in the batter, making sure both sides are coated evenly.
Place the lotus root sandwiches into the hot oil, fry until golden brown on both sides, then remove to drain the oil.
Tip:
- Since the lotus root is not cooked yet, you should lower the heat when frying the lotus root sandwiches, allowing the lotus root to cook through while keeping the outer layer crispy and golden.
- If you boil or steam the lotus root before stuffing it with fish cake filling, then you can keep the heat medium when frying, ensuring the filling inside is cooked just right while the batter outside is beautifully golden.
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Making the dipping sauce
Add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon of chili sauce into a small bowl, mix well to dip with the lotus root stuffed with fish cake.
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Final product
So you have completed the lotus root stuffed with fried fish cake with just a few simple steps. The crispy outer layer combined with the natural crunchiness of the lotus root, along with the chewy fish cake filling inside, dipped in the rich mayonnaise sauce, is surely a snack that cannot be criticized!
How to choose crispy, delicious lotus root
- You can choose either mature or young lotus roots when making two dishes: lotus root stuffed with meat and lotus root stuffed with fish cake.
- It is best to choose lotus roots that are moderately thick and short, as these have just the right level of ripeness for good taste.
- The outside of the lotus root should be plump, without any bumps or dents.
- The skin color should be yellow, avoid choosing white (as they may have been soaked in chemicals).
- There should be no strange smell.
- The larger the air holes inside the lotus root, the more water it contains and the sweeter it will taste.
Tips for preparing lotus root without browning
After cutting off the hard end of the lotus root and peeling off the thin outer skin, you can apply some methods below to prevent the lotus root from browning:
- Method 1: Soak the lotus root in rice washing water, as the starch in the rice water can help absorb dirt and remove mud and sap from the lotus root.
- Method 2: Soak in water mixed with a bit of vinegar (or lemon juice).
- Method 3: Soak in diluted salt water.
See more:
Thus, TasteVN has revealed to you 2 more ways to make lotus root stuffed with beef and lotus root stuffed with fried fish cake that are crispy and delicious for a tasty weekend! Wishing you success with even more delicious fried dishes.
* Refer to images and recipes from 2 YouTube channels: Delicious Everyday Dishes and Delicious Dishes.
