Indian lotus root recipe : with sweet and spicy sauce
This Indian lotus root recipe is a game changer! Fresh, sliced lotus root, air fried to perfection, tossed in a sweet and spicy Indian inspired sauce, and topped with fresh mint and cilantro.
This Indian lotus root recipe is incredibly easy to make and absolutely packed with flavor! Serve along side any Indian inspired meal, eat it as a snack, or toss it over rice for a healthy, light meal!
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INDIAN LOTUS ROOT RECIPE
WHAT IS LOTUS ROOT
Lotus root is the edible stem of a lotus plant. When sliced, it has a beautiful, floral, geometric pattern that really brings a unique, whimsical aesthetic to your plate. Not only does it look cool, but it tastes delicious as well! Lotus root has a mild sweetness and a crunchy, starchy texture.
Lotus root is a perfect snack or side dish all on it’s own. You can toss it in a sauce to really bring up the flavor. Lotus root is also an excellent addition for soups, salads, and stir-fry dishes.
Lotus root brings more than just texture and flavor to a dish. Its also a great source of nutrients! Lotus root is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C and victim B6.
SIMPLE AIR FRIED INDIAN LOTUS ROOT RECIPE
You can deep fry, steam or sauté lotus root. But for this lotus root recipe you will be air frying your lotus root. Air frying lotus root is super simple and tasty!
To air fry lotus root, simply toss in oil, place in air fryer basket, and cook for 7 minutes, flipping them half way to evenly cook. That’s it!
WHAT OIL TO USE WHEN AIR FRYING
When it comes to air frying, you need to choose your oil wisely. You need need to choose an oil with a high smoke point. Oils with high smoke points include avocado, peanut, canola, sunflower, and sesame oil.
You can use regular sesame oil, but do not use toasted sesame oil when air frying ingredients for longer than a few minutes. Toasted sesame oil has a low smoke point. Since it’s already been toasted, it will burn. For this recipe you will use toasted oil, but you will only have cook it for a short period of time, so it will not affect the flavor negatively.
A lot of people use olive oil in air fryers, but technically you shouldn’t. Olive oil is not an oil with a high smoke point, so it could negatively affect the flavor of your dishes. But again, if you are air frying a recipe at a lower temperature or for a short period of time, it will most likely be fine.
SWEET AND SPICY INDIAN INSPIRED SAUCE
This Indian lotus root recipe gets its Indian inspired flavor from its sweet and spicy sauce. This sauce is super simple to make and incredibly flavorful! Made with chana masala seasoning, curry leaves, garlic, ginger, vinegar, dry white wine, sugar, ketchup, and corn starch. This sauce is thick, sweet, spicy, savory and complex in flavor! It’s completely addictive!
CHANA MASALA SPICE MIX
To give this Indian Lotus root recipe an Indian inspired flavor, you will be adding garlic, ginger, curry leaves and Chana Masala spice. For this recipe I went with MDH’s boxed Chana Masala. This is a delicious, complex blend of spices, including coriander seeds, red chillies, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek leaves, mustard, dried ginger, and more.
Of course you can make this blend from scratch…but given its abundance of varied spices, I find it much easier to simply have a box in my spice cabinet. I found this spice blend to be the perfect addition to flavor this sweet and spicy Indian inspired sauce!
This spice blend does have some heat to it! So if you are sensitive to spice, start with less…if you love spice, add more!
Substitutes for chana masala mix and curry leaves
If needed, you can substitute garam masala powder for chana masala mix. The flavor won’t be quite the same, but it will give your sauce that nice Indian inspired flavor you are looking for.
For the curry leaves you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder.
How to serve Indian Lotus Root
This Indian lotus root recipe with sweet and spicy sauce makes the perfect side dish or appetizer for your Indian inspired meal. It also makes a perfect, healthy and satisfying snack.
You can also serve this Indian lotus root recipe over rice and turn it into a healthy, light meal!
Indian lotus root recipe : with sweet and spicy sauce
Ingredients
FOR AIR FRIED LOTUS ROOT
- 4 fresh lotus roots
- 1 tbsp oil us oil with a high smoke point such as avocado, sesame, or canola oil
FOR SWEET AND SPICY INDIAN INSPIRED SAUCE
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp chana masala seasoning
- 6 curry leaves
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
TOPPINGS
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
Instructions
AIR FRY THE LOTUS ROOT
- Begin by peeling the lotus root so the outer skin layer is gone. Then slice the lotus root into 1/8 inch slices.
- Place lotus root in a bowl and toss with oil
- Place lotus root in the air fryer, do not over lap. Cook at 375 degrees for 7 minutes. Make sure you flip the lotus root at the 3 1/2 minute mark so they cook evenly. Everyone's air fryer cooks slightly differently, so adjust time if needed. Lotus root should be slightly crispy and golden brown, but not burnt.**If you have a small air fryer, you will have to do this in several batches
- **While the lotus root is cooking, move onto the sauce to use your time wisely
MAKE THE SWEET AND SPICY INDIAN INSPIRED SAUCE
- In a skillet combine all of the ingredients listed under "sweet and spicy Indian inspired Sauce", except for the cornstarch. Leave the cornstarch to the side for now.
- Bring the ingredients up to a boil and then reduce heat to medium so the sauce can start to cook down. Allow the sauce to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once sauce has reduced for 10 minutes, add the cornstarch. Do this by slowly adding it and stirring with a whisk or spatula. You want to stir somewhat vigorously so the cornstarch doesn't clump.
- Remove from heat and set aside
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
- When sauce and lotus root have finished cooking, place lotus root in a bowl
- Pour sauce over the air fried lotus root
- Mix until evenly combined
- Plate lotus root and top with chopped fresh mint and cilantro. Recipe makes 4 servings.
- Serve and enjoy! This recipe is a great snack, side dish or appetizer. You can also serve it with rice as a meal!
