Top 15 Lotus-Inspired Dishes

Chicken Feet and Lotus Root Salad is a simple dish from the countryside, using ingredients such as: 4 or 5 chicken feet, 300g lotus root, 200g carrots, cilantro, parsley, vinegar, lime, sugar, chili, and garlic to prepare.

Preparation:

• Step 1: Peel and wash carrots, then cut into small strips. Peel lotus root, wash, slice thinly, then soak in water with a little vinegar to keep it white. Wash cilantro and chop finely. Garlic and chili are also finely chopped.
• Step 2: Wash the chicken feet with some salt and ginger until clean. Boil the chicken feet in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Then, soak in cold water with a little vinegar.
• Step 3: Then, place the lotus root on a plate to drain, marinate with a little sugar and vinegar. Marinate carrots with vinegar, sugar, and salt to taste.
• Step 4: Use a sharp knife to make a vertical incision along the chicken feet. Next, use the tip of the knife to separate the skin, leaving the chicken tendons and removing the bones.
• Step 5: Mix the prepared chicken feet with fish sauce, lime, sugar, minced garlic and chili, and cilantro.
• Step 6: Drain the lotus root and carrots that have been mixed above.
• Step 7: Mix all together and sprinkle some parsley on top, and you have completed the Chicken Feet and Lotus Root Salad, a delicious and enticing dish.

Mushroom and Lotus Seed Porridge is a dish known for its effective headache relief. Ingredients: 1 mirror of lotus seeds, 20g white mushrooms, 100g green beans, 50g glutinous rice, 20g rock sugar.

Instructions:

• Step 1: Peel the lotus seeds, remove the bitter part.
• Step 2: Soak the mushrooms in cold water until they expand.
• Step 3: Clean the green beans and glutinous rice, then cook until tender. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 15 more minutes, then add the lotus seeds and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
• Step 4: Finally, add the rock sugar, stir until it dissolves completely, and simmer on low heat. This completes the enticing dish of Mushroom and Lotus Seed Porridge.

Lotus Seed Sweet Soup is a familiar dish known for its excellent body cooling properties. Ingredients: 50g roasted almond powder, 20ml fresh milk, squeezed coconut water from dried coconut, 50g fresh lotus seeds or dried lotus seeds, and an essential ingredient when making sweet soup is a suitable amount of sugar to taste.

Instructions:

• Step 1: Wash the fresh lotus seeds thoroughly. Remove the lotus heart. This is the most time-consuming step in making fresh lotus seed sweet soup.
• Step 2: Soak the lotus seeds in water until they expand. Then cook the lotus seeds until soft and add sugar to taste.
• Step 3: Warm the milk, then add the milk and almond powder to the pot of lotus seeds and dissolve. Add coconut water on top, and the lotus seed sweet soup is ready, rich, sweet, and delicious.
• Step 4: Let the lotus seed sweet soup cool down, then store it in the refrigerator. When you want to eat, just scoop it into a bowl or glass, top with some ice for extra refreshment and flavor.

A unique and enticing dish combining seafood ingredients (such as shrimp, scallops...), Chinese sausage, black fungus, chives, onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper... and notably, lotus leaves.

Instructions:

• Step 1: If using shrimp, clean and devein them first, then cut into butterfly shapes. Soak the black fungus in water for about 15 minutes, then rinse and cut into butterfly shapes similar to shrimp. Cut the Chinese sausage into butterfly shapes as well.
• Step 2: Finely chop the onions, sauté until fragrant, then add the seafood ingredients, black fungus, and Chinese sausage, mix well, season to taste.
• Step 3: Mix the pre-cooked rice with the above mixture.
• Step 4: Wash and dry the lotus leaves, then place the rice mixture in the middle of the lotus leaves and wrap them up.
• Step 5: Finally, place the wrapped seafood rice balls in a steamer. Steam for about 10 minutes and the Steamed Seafood Rice with Lotus Leaves is ready.

Rice flake cake, also known as Com dep in some places, steamed rice flake cake with water lily leaves is a dish that is quite easy to make. Ingredients: 50g rice flake, beans, minced meat, water lily leaves, seasoning.

Preparation:

• Step 1: Grind the beans, season with some spices. Add rice flake and mix well, then let it sit for about 10 minutes for the rice flake to absorb the seasoning.
• Step 2: Clean the meat, grind finely, and mix well with the rice flake and beans mixture.
• Step 3: Wash and dry the water lily leaves, then place the rice flake, beans, and meat mixture in the middle and wrap it up, then steam for about 15 - 20 minutes. That's it, the delicious steamed rice flake cake with water lily leaves is ready to enjoy.

Fresh Shrimp Stir-Fried with Water Lily Stems is a nutritious dish. Ingredients: 500g water lily stems, 250g fresh shrimp, and various seasonings such as spring onions, lime, garlic, and seasoning powder.

Cooking Method:

• Step 1: Cut the water lily stems into bite-sized pieces, rinse thoroughly, and soak in water with a bit of lime to keep them white.
• Step 2: Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail intact. Make a shallow cut along the back of the shrimp to remove the vein.
• Step 3: Finely chop the garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add the shrimp and stir-fry over high heat until the shrimp are firm. Next, add the water lily stems and stir-fry until cooked through, seasoning with salt, sugar, and seasoning powder to taste.
• Step 4: Finally, garnish the dish with chopped spring onions for an appealing presentation. That's it! Your Fresh Shrimp Stir-Fried with Water Lily Stems is ready to serve.

9. Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice

Sticky rice is a quintessential dish in Vietnamese cuisine with many different variations. One of the most beloved options is Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice. Ingredients: 300g glutinous rice, lotus leaves, 100g minced pork, 50g shrimp, 50g chicken meat, 30g Chinese sausage, 30g Chinese barbecue pork, onions, garlic, cooking oil, spring onions, soy sauce, pepper, half a tablespoon of cornstarch, various seasonings (salt, sugar, seasoning powder…).

Cooking Method:

• Step 1: Rinse and cook the glutinous rice until soft.
• Step 2: Clean and finely chop the pork, boil the shrimp, slice the chicken meat, Chinese sausage, Chinese barbecue pork, and onions into small pieces.
• Step 3: Finely chop the garlic and mix with cornstarch and a little water.
• Step 4: Sauté the garlic until fragrant, then add the prepared ingredients: pork, shrimp, chicken meat, Chinese sausage, Chinese barbecue pork, onions, and stir-fry together. Season to taste, add the cornstarch mixture and spring onions, mix well to create the filling for the lotus leaf sticky rice.
• Step 5: Shaping the sticky rice: Wet your hands with water or cooking oil to prevent sticking. Take a portion of glutinous rice and shape it into a round ball, then flatten it with both hands, place the filling in the middle, wrap it into a round ball, then wrap it with lotus leaves. Finally, steam for about 20 minutes, and your delicious Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice is ready to serve.

10. Lotus Seed Soup

Soup is always rich in nutrients as it combines many nutritious ingredients. Lotus seeds can also be used to make delicious Lotus Seed Soup. Ingredients: 200g dried lotus seeds, 200g freshwater prawns, 3 – 4 shiitake mushrooms or you can also use button mushrooms, a piece of fresh tofu, 1 egg white, cornstarch or corn flour, coriander, sesame oil, onions, and various seasonings (salt, sugar, seasoning powder…).

Cooking Method:

• Step 1: Peel and remove the core of the lotus seeds, boil the lotus seeds in boiling water until soft, remove the lotus seeds, and keep the lotus seed broth.
• Step 2: Peel the prawns, cut along the back to remove the black thread, rinse well, then mince and marinate with a little seasoning for about 30 minutes.
• Step 3: Soak the mushrooms, rinse well, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Rinse the tofu, drain, and cut into small pieces according to personal preference.
• Step 4: Heat oil, sauté the onions until fragrant, add the prawns to stir-fry until cooked. Add the lotus seeds and lotus seed broth to the prawn pot, bring to a boil, then add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes, then add the tofu and simmer over low heat.
• Step 5: Beat the egg white until evenly mixed, dissolve the cornstarch in a little water and mix well.
• Step 6: Add the egg white and cornstarch mixture to the soup pot, stirring well to create consistency and appealing color for the lotus seed soup.
• Step 7: Finally, season with seasoning to taste, and your delicious lotus seed soup is ready. When serving, sprinkle some ground pepper on top to enhance the rich and delicious flavor of the Lotus Seed Soup.

11. Braised Pork Knuckle with Lotus Root Soup

Braised Lotus Root Soup with Pork Knuckle is also a delicious and nutritious dish. Ingredients: 500g lotus roots, 1 small carrot, 500 peeled and seeded lotus seeds, 15 dried apples, 1/2 pork knuckle, scallions, pepper, accompanying spices (salt, sugar, seasoning powder...)

• Step 1: Peel and clean the lotus roots, cut them into small pieces about 5 mm thick, then soak them in water with a little lemon juice to keep the lotus roots white.
• Step 2: Trim the carrot into flower shapes for visual appeal, cut them twice as thick as the lotus roots, about 1cm thick.
• Step 3: Wash and boil the lotus seeds until soft, clean the apples, clean and cut the pork knuckle into bite-sized pieces.
• Step 4: Parboil the pork knuckle, then add the lotus roots and simmer together, then add the carrots to simmer with the pork knuckle and lotus roots.
• Step 5: Allow the spices to cook thoroughly, season to taste, then serve and enjoy the braised lotus root soup with pork knuckle hot and nutritious.

12. Pork Tongue Cooked with Lotus Seeds

Pork Tongue Cooked with Lotus Seeds is a nutritious combination. Ingredients: a large pork tongue, 150g dried lotus seeds, 1 carrot, 1 tomato, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, fish sauce, pepper, garlic, scallions, tomato sauce, and accompanying spices (salt, sugar, seasoning powder...).

• Step 1: Wash the pork tongue, blanch in boiling water, remove and scrape off the white mucous membrane, rinse with salt water to drain. Then use a sharp skewer to evenly poke around the tongue.
• Step 2: Marinate the pork tongue with a little salt, pepper, and knead well.
• Step 3: Peel and seed the lotus seeds, wash them clean. Clean and soak the mushrooms in water and cut them in half.
• Step 4: Lightly fry the pork tongue, sauté the garlic until fragrant. Pour water into the pot, bring to a boil, then add the pork tongue to the boiling water with low heat, until the pork tongue is evenly cooked on both sides, then add the lotus seeds, season to taste and wait until everything is tender and the broth is thickened.
• Step 5: Finally, remove and present the dish attractively, sprinkle with some pepper, and enjoy.

13. Corn Beef and Lotus Seed Congee

Add another special porridge called Corn Beef and Lotus Seed Congee. Ingredients: 500g corn beef (front or rear shank of beef), 150g lotus seeds, rice, glutinous rice, a little mung beans, coriander, onions, cilantro, pepper, and accompanying spices (salt, sugar, seasoning powder...).

• Step 1: The corn beef is washed and placed on a plate in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to slightly firm up the meat, then sliced into small pieces. Put the beef in a pot, cover with water, add salt, place on the stove, and boil until the corn beef is tender.
• Step 2: Grind the mung beans finely, peel off the skin, then soak in warm water for about 30 minutes.
• Step 3: Peel the fresh lotus seeds, remove the bitter core, put the lotus seeds in boiling water for about 15 - 20 minutes, then add the mung beans and cook until both the lotus seeds and mung beans are swollen.
• Step 4: Mix glutinous rice and rice, wash thoroughly, roast the mixture of glutinous rice and rice until the grains turn golden and fragrant. Then add water and cook until the rice grains are swollen, then remove the rice with a sieve, discard the rice cooking water.
• Step 5: Add all the mung beans, lotus seeds, and rice to the pot of boiled corn beef, cook until boiling, season to taste, turn the heat down to simmer, the porridge will be more delicious when eaten.
• The last step is just to enjoy, and when eating, don't forget to sprinkle some pepper on top for more flavor.

14. Fermented Sen Root Kimchi

Sen Root Kimchi is an easy dish to make. Ingredients: 500g Sen root, 1 carrot, 200g pickled cucumbers, garlic, ginger, Korean chili powder, accompanying spices (salt, sugar, MSG…)

• Step 1: Peel the Sen root, cut into slices about 3mm thick, soak in lemon water to maintain the white color, soak with vinegar and sugar for 2 days in advance to get the acidity of kimchi.
• Step 2: When making the dish, remove the Sen root, shake well to drain.
• Step 3: Pickled cucumbers are also soaked in vinegar, then discard the sour vinegar.
• Step 4: Carrots cut into 2mm thick slices, rinse and drain. Cut ginger into slices, some parts. Finely chop the ginger and squeeze out the juice.
• Step 5: Put all the prepared ingredients above in a bowl. Add spices, vinegar, sugar, Korean chili powder, finely chopped garlic to suit your taste.
• Step 6: If you want this Sen root kimchi dish to be even better, it is best to eat it after 1 day of mixing, note that you can store this dish in the refrigerator to eat longer, it can last for a week.

Tender Pork Ribs Cooked with Dutch Beans and Lotus Seeds is a nutritious dish. Ingredients: 600g tender pork ribs, 200g lotus seeds, 100g Dutch beans, 1 carrot, tomato sauce, garlic, cooking oil, coriander, dried shallots.

• Step 1: Clean the tender pork ribs, blanch briefly in boiling water to remove impurities, then marinate the ribs with tomato sauce, salt, minced garlic, mix well and let it marinate for about 2 hours.
• Step 2: Wash the Dutch beans, peel and wash the carrot, cut into short pieces, peel the lotus seeds, remove the bitter core and wash with water to make the lotus seeds white.
• Step 3: Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, then briefly fry the tender pork ribs on both sides.
• Step 4: Put about 3 - 4 cups of filtered water or you can use fresh coconut water for a richer flavor into the pot, then add the lotus seeds and marinated pork ribs, continue to boil for about 30 minutes, then add tomato sauce, a little salt.
• Step 5: Next, add the carrots, Dutch beans into the pot with the mixture of lotus seeds and pork ribs, season with salt to taste. When everything is cooked tender, turn off the heat, serve the dish and arrange it beautifully, completing the Tender Pork Ribs Cooked with Dutch Beans and Lotus Seeds, this dish can be served with sticky rice or bread.