Lotus Leaf Parcel

Introduction:

Lotus leaves are large bright green leaves from the aquatic lotus plant.

Fresh lotus leaf is sweet in taste with a hint of bitterness.

Dry lotus leaves are used to add a fresh earthy tea scent to foods, most often steamed dumplings or even glutinous rice.

The lotus leaf aroma is infused in the rice when steamed.

For this recipe, I used two pieces of dry lotus leaves.

Ingredients:

3 large fresh Chicken drums (cut into 3 pieces per drum)

2 rice cups of Rice

2 pieces Dried Lotus Leaf

Half portion of  Australian Pumpkin (diced)

1 pair premium grade Chinese Sausage

Home prepare chicken stock

Marinade for chicken drumsticks:

Ginger juice, premium dark soy sauce, dash of coarse sugar, sesame oil and cornflour.

Method:

In a large metal bowl with sufficient water to cover the lotus leaves.

Flip to the other side of both Lotus leaves and do the same.

Should take approximately about 25 minutes to soak both sides of the leaves until it softened.

Discard the basin of water and leave the Lotus leaves to dry or you can use paper hand towel to wipe dry.

Marinade the chopped chicken drumsticks for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.

Wash the rice and set aside.

In a non stick pan, add some cooking oil and a tablespoon of minced garlic.

Fry the minced garlic until fragrant.

Add the marinated chopped chicken drums and fry for a few minutes.

Add the sliced premium Chinese sausage and diced pumpkin.

Include another tablespoon of premium oyster sauce and drizzle sesame oil over the mixture.

Finally add the rice and include about a 150ml of home prepared chicken stock.

Leave the ingredients to cook for about 8 to 10 minutes before transferring to the lotus leaves.

Line the two pieces of lotus leaves together on a metal plate and add the semi cooked ingredients.

Wrap the ingredients with the lotus leaves like a parcel.

You can use toothpicks to secure the wrapping.

Heat up the steamer and steam the rice for about 40 minutes over medium heat.

Please make sure there are sufficient water for steaming.

By about half an hour, you should be able to smell the fragrance of the lotus leaves.

Check the rice to your doneness.

When done, turn off the steamer and serve the rice while hot.

Recommendation:

Would you like to prepare your own Lotus Seeds dessert.

For details, click here.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/2013/10/12/lotus-seeds-dessert-lien-chee-suan/

Lotus Roots with Macadamia Nuts and Assorted Vegetables

Introduction:

A dish that comprises of different types of vegetables and each ingredient has its own unique crunch.

Celery – Crunchy vegetable when it is fresh

Carrots – Robust crunch

Capsicum – crunchy delight and can also be eaten raw

Lotus Roots – texture light and crunchy

Black Fungus – slippery with a crunchy texture

Water Chestnut – Refreshing, sweet and crunchy. Can also be eaten raw

Snow Peas -plump edible pods with a crisp and snappy crunch

Ingredients:

One medium size fresh  Muddy Lotus Root (cleaned, peeled and sliced)

The only way to get fresh, crunchy and tasty Lotus Roots is to buy the muddy Lotus Roots that are harvested from ponds and usually covered with mud.

This is a medium size Lotus Root sliced thinly with a sharp knife.

 2 long capsicum (yellow and orange)

Six pieces of fresh waterchestnut (peeled and sliced thinly)
1 small packet of Macadamia Nuts
2 stalks of Celery (sliced)
Small packet of snow peas
A small packet of Black Fungus (soaked and trimmed)
1 medium size carrots (sliced)

1 bowl of home made chicken broth

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of Premium Oyster Sauce

1 tablespoon Superior Light Soy Sauce

Method:

Peel and slice lotus roots thinly.

Soak the dry black fungus in cold water for 20-30 minutes until they fully expand. Clean them well, and trim off the stems with scissors. Tear them into small pieces, and set aside.

Diced capsicum.

Trim ends and remove the thin string from one side of the snow pea with a sharp knife.

Toast the packet of Macadamia Nuts until its slightly golden brown and set aside.

(If you do not wish to toast the raw Macadamia Nuts, you can purchase a small packet of off the shelf Honey Toasted Macadamia Nuts)

Add cooking oil to the wok over medium heat and stir fry the minced garlic until fragrant.

Firstly, add the thinly sliced lotus root, snow peas and sliced carrots and stir fry for about three minutes.

Add some chicken broth and mixed well.

Now combine all the other vegetables (celery, water chestnut, capsicum, black fungus) into the wok and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.

Add some additional chicken broth and gently stir thoroughly.

Add the seasoning (light soy sauce and oyster sauce) and bring to a boil.

Finally add the toasted macadamia nuts.

Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately.

Tips:

You may wish to add a teaspoon of corn flour mixture for a glossy look but I prefer to go without the cornflour.

There is so much crunchiness of various ingredients from this dish.

A unique blend of assorted vegetables . The lightly sauced combination without drowning the freshness of the vegetables.

What’s Cooking Flo?

There is so much crunchiness of various ingredients from this dish.
A unique blend of assorted vegetables . The lightly sauced combination without drowning the freshness of the vegetables.

Refer to my recipe for Lotus Roots with Macadamia Nuts.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/lotus-roots-with-macadamia-nuts/

Published: http://sg.openrice.com/recipe/detail.htm?recipeid=439

Steamed Sticky Glutinous Rice with Chicken in Lotus Leaf

Ingredients:

1 medium size Sakura Fresh Chicken chopped into medium pieces
2 inches fresh ginger, sliced thinly
8 pieces of dry Shiitake mushrooms (soaked, discard stem and sliced thinly)
2 Chinese liver sausages sliced diagonally (you can replace with Chinese sausages)
Half tablespoon of cooking oil
2 cups of glutinous rice
1 piece of dried lotus leaf

Marinade:

1 tablespoon Superior Light Soya Sauce
1 tablespoon Premium Oyster Sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (Hao Tiao Chiew)
Quarter teaspoon of Chinese rose wine
Quarter teaspoon sugar
Few dashes of white pepper
Half teaspoon Superior White Sesame Oil
Half teaspoon corn starch

Method:

Soak the glutinous rice for half an hour. Drain and set aside.
Rinse the chopped chicken pieces. Pat dry with paper towel.
Marinate the chicken, mushrooms with all the other ingredients including the glutinous rice in the marinade for about half to one hour.
Heat up a non stick wok with cooking oil. Stir fry the Chinese liver sausage until aromatic.
Add the chicken and mushrooms, stir and blend well.
Bring to boil a pot of water. Scald/blanch the dry lotus leaf with boiling water until it becomes soft. Wipe both sides of the leaves dry with paper towels.
Place all the ingredients in the middle of the leaf. Fold the sides up and wrap it tightly into a parcel.
Lay in a deep plate and steam for about half an hour or until all the chicken pieces and glutinous rice are cooked thoroughly.

 

Lotus Roots with Pork Ribs Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium size lotus roots
Half kilo prime ribs
12 pieces of dried scallops
10 pieces of red dates

Method:

Remove the skin from the lotus roots and cut into medium slices.
Blanch the pork ribs in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove dirty bits.
Rinse blanched pork ribs and set aside.
In an earthen pot, add water sufficient enough to cover all the ingredients.
Add sliced lotus roots, blanched pork ribs, dried scallops and red dates.
When the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer over slow fire for another 30 minutes or until pork ribs are tender.
Season with salt and a tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine (Hua Tiao Chiew).

Tips:

There are many variations to lotus root soup preparation.

This is the simplest method fast to cook and good to eat.

Crunchy lotus roots are nutritious and delicious.

Lotus Seeds Dessert (Lien Chee Suan)

Ingredients:

2 packets of lotus seeds
5 rice bowls of water
4 knotted screwpine leaves (pandan leaf)
2 pieces of sugarcane sugar
3 tablespoons of Superior Potato Flour
3 tablespoons of water

Method:

Heat a non-stick pot and caramalized 2 long pieces of sugarcane sugar until it turns light brown.
Remove from heat immediately or it will turn bitter.
Add the rest of the sugar, water, screwpine leaves and lotus seeds and bring to the boil.
Dissolve sweet potato flour in 3 tablespoons of water and add to the pan.
When the mixture thickens, remove from heat.
You can serve this dessert hot or cold.

Tips:

The trick about preparing this dessert is the balancing of the sweetness with sugarcane sugar and the consistency of having to stir the mixture well so that it does not coagulate.

If you need to reheat, add some water and stir slowly into a paste.

Published:http://sg.openrice.com/recipe/detail.htm?recipeid=410

The Beauty of Lotus Flowers and amazing food made from various part of the Lotus plants

I am always amazed to watch the beautiful sight of lotus ponds and here are some photos captured during two of my many visits to various parts of China.

Spring in Guangzhou and Autumn in Suzhou

Beautiful lotus pond covered with budding and full bloom of dappled pink lotus flowers and gigantic fresh green leaves. A common sight during Spring time in various provinces in China.

During harvesting, the lotus pond will be covered with dry seed pods.

Round about the size of hazelnut, are found covered with a brown outer skin similar to almond. When peeled, the seeds are off white or light yellow in colour.

These peeled lotus seeds are used in both savoury and sweet dishes. It is also boiled until soft, pureed and use as following for sweet pastries such as lotus seed mooncakes, lotus seed buns and my favourite lotus seed dessert.

The dried lotus leaves are used for wrapping chicken dishes or steamed glutinous rice.

Look out for some of my recipes using Lotus Seeds as dessert, Chicken Wrapped in Lotus Leaf and Lotus Roots with Pork Rib Soup.