Cantonese Lotus Root Stir Fry (荷塘小炒, He Tang Xiao Chao)
Stir fried lotus root, carrot, snow peas and wood ear mushrooms are tossed in a light savory sauce with a lot of garlic and ginger. It’s a dish that celebrates the spring. It’s super quick and easy to put together, making it the perfect side dish for your dinner. {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}To make this dish gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Prep time
- 18 min
- Cook time
- 8 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp dried wood ear mushrooms
- 1 tsp mushroom powder ((or chicken bouillon powder))
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp light soy sauce ((or soy sauce))
- 2 cup lotus root (, sliced (*or 1 small fresh lotus root) (*Footnote 1))
- 1 small carrot (, sliced)
- 1/2 cup snow peas
- 2 tbsp peanut oil ((or vegetable oil))
- 3 clove garlic (, minced)
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- 1
Soak the mushrooms: Add the dried wood ear mushrooms into a small bowl and add 1 cup hot water to cover. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft throughout. Drain well. Remove any tough ends if needed, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
- 2
Mix the sauce: Combine the mushroom powder, cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir to mix well.
- 3
Make the stir fry: Add 1/4 cup water to a large skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Add the lotus root and carrot. Cover the pan and steam for 1 minute. Then add the snow peas and soaked wood ear mushrooms. Stir a few times. Cover and steam for another 20 seconds. Once done, transfer all the vegetables to a big plate. Wipe the pan with paper towels to remove any water.
- 4
Heat the oil in the same pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
- 5
Add back all the vegetables. Stir a few times to coat the vegetables with oil. Sprinkle the salt. Stir and cook until the vegetables have softened but are still crisp, 1 to 2 minutes.
- 6
Stir the sauce again to fully dissolve the cornstarch, and pour it into the pan. Immediately stir to mix well, until the sauce thickens. Transfer everything to a large serving plate.
- 7
Serve hot as a side dish.