Sweet and Salty Lotus Roots (Yeonkeun Jorim)
Braised lotus roots are a popular Korean side dish. They taste best when they are slightly crunchy, salty and sweet all at the same time.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 16 oz blanched lotus roots ((about 4 cups / 1 L))
- 4 tsp vegetable oil
- 4.6 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 4 tsp cooking rice wine ((sake is good))
- 1 Tbsp rice malt syrup
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 3/4 cup + 1 tsp water
- Pinch of sesame seeds as garnish
Instructions
- 1
For fresh lotus roots, just wash, peel, slice them into 1/4 inch thickness and then blanch them in boiling vinegar water (1 Tbs vinegar to 4-5 cups water).
- 2
On medium high heat, add the 1 Tbs + 1tsp of oil in a pot and lightly saute the lotus roots for 5 min.
- 3
Make the sauce by mixing the soy sauce, sugar, cooking wine, water and malt syrup. Add the sauce to the pot and bring to a boil on medium high heat.
- 4
Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Stir the lotus root slices every few minutes to make sure they get evenly coated with the sauce.
- 5
For the final step, take off the lid and add 2 Tbs maple syrup. Let the sauce reduce further (so that it barely covers the bottom of the pot) in low heat for 5-7 minutes. This will add a nice glaze to the jorim. Stir the lotus roots often to glaze them evenly.
- 6
Sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds on top. These lotus roots will be just sweet and salty enough to make a great side dish to any Korean meal.
- 7
You can keep yeonkeun jorim in the fridge for several days up to a week. Reheating is not necessary. They taste great at room temperature.