On the menu today—Lotus Root Chips

I first heard about lotus roots when I was browsing through recipes on Alicia Silverstone's web site—The Kind Life. The sliced roots look beautiful and I was interested in learning how to prepare and cook them.

Raw Lotus Roots—Unpeeled and peeled

 The lotus roots that I purchased were a dark brown in colour—I later learned that this indicted age. Younger, fresher roots are lighter in colour. Guess that's what we Canadians end up with when we are dealing with imported vegetables.

I ended up buying 2 roots that each had 2 segments. When peeled, this produced a pound of lotus root.

The texture of the root is similar to a combination of water chestnuts and raw potato, but with a denser texture; more fibrous.

The recipe I followed was for Oven Baked Lotus Root Chips on the site Group Recipes reproduced here with nutritional breakdown. I used a cajun spice as indicated but I found the chips to be a bit to (spicy) hot. Next time I plan to use a BBQ seasoning with a bit less heat.

Oven Baked Lotus Root Chips
1 lb whole fresh lotus root
2-3 tsp of your favorite cajun or bbq spice blend
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar or lemon juice

Wash and peel the lotus root, removing any brown bits, just like a potato. Slice then 1/8 inch thick.

Raw lotus root slices, ready for blanching


Slide the roots onto bamboo sticks strung across a microwave safe bowl, as pictured. I added a bit of water on the bottom and covered it to keep the steam in.

Microwave on high for 2-3 mins to blanch. When the steam subsides, immerse immediately in a bowl of water with a tablespoon of rice wine vinegar or lemon juice, and a few ice cubes mixed in. When cool, drain and pat dry.
Preheat the oven to 450 F

Get a big spoon and mix the roots with the oil and spice. Spread out in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet.
Bake for 10 mins. Flip them, then bake an additional 10 mins. You want them to be browned and golden just like a potato chip. Eat them warm or at room temp for up to two days.

Serves 4
Nutritional Breakdown Per Serving:
103 Calories
4g Fat (29.2% calories from fat)
3g Protein
17g Carbohydrate
5g Dietary Fiber
0mg Cholesterol
197mg Sodium