Lotus Root Rice (蓮根ご飯)

Lotus Root Rice

I like all kind of flavoured rice, such as pumpkin rice, yam rice, pineapple rice and tomato rice. Rice is not only my staple, but also one of my comfort food. When I saw this recipe on NHK program, I told myself I must try it. Simple Japanese home cook dish cooked in rice cooker, simple, healthy and yummy.

Lotus root (蓮根 - renkon in Japanese) is one of the common ingredients in Japanese cooking. It can be cooked in soup, stew, rice and desserts. Renkon tempura is also polular, sliced renkon is stuffed with things like mince and mustard then made into tempura. For Chinese cooking, lotus root soup is my all-time favourite followed by stir-fried mixed vegetables with sliced lotus root. That explained why I like to buy lotus root always.

Ingredients (2 servings):
1 cup short grain rice (Japanese rice)
1 cup of water
1 cup finely chopped lotus root plus some chunks
1 tbsp cooking oil or butter
200g beef, cubed (I used pork)
Ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Green pea, chopped (or other greens for garnish)
1 tsp toasted sesame seed

Methods:
  1. Rinse rice a few times until water running clear. In rice cooker's pot, soak rice in one cup of water for 10-15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in non-stick pan. Add in beef and sprinkle back pepper evenly, stir to sear the beef or until it is browned lightly. Drain the oil.
  3. Transfer seared beef into rice cooker (with rice in it), add in lotus root and salt to taste. Lid on, and cook the rice as if cooking steamed rice.
  4. Once it is cooked, add in peas or other greens. Stir the rice briefly. Lid on, turn the power off and let the rice stay in the rice cooker for 10 minutes or so before serving.
  5. Scoop rice into individual serving bowls or one big bowl for sharing, sprinkle toasted sesame over the surface.

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Comments

  1. I love flavoured rice too! It's easy and very tasty. You have really nice pictures.

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  2. I never think of lotus root can be used to cooked with rice...great idea!

    I wonder how to cook tomato rice? I thought to cook it for Sarah. Is it the same way to fried rice with just adding in tomato?

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  3. What an interesting way with lotus root. I've been trying to find lotus root recipes to incorporate more lotus root in my diet. This is bookmarked: thanks!

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  4. pigpigscorner:
    Yea, easy to cook and comforting, especially those one-dish meal rice. Thanks for your compliments.

    Brooke:
    Delicious and easy to prepare, try it!

    Joanne:
    I learnt from NHK cooking program, got lots of Japanese home cook dishes I wanna try.

    Tomato rice I mentioned is Indian style, but I use vegetable oil instead of ghee and I like to add some fresh tomato. Try to look for recipe online, you may want to add some prawn or chicken in it.

    little prince's mummy:
    Try it! Serve with lotus root soup? :D

    eatingclub:
    No problem. Hope you like it. Btw, any special reason to incorporate more lotus root in your diet? What is lotus root good for?

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  5. Looking forward for more of your japanese dishes. I am sure it taste good.

    Ok, I will look for the recipe online.

    Thanks ya!

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  6. The Chinese herbalist mentioned something about lotus root's cooling effect on the body. Seems like my yin-yang balance is out-of-whack, supposedly. Oh well, I like lotus root anyways. :)

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  7. eatingclub, thanks for the info. we had lotus root again today, stir-fried with other veges.

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