Dr Kaviraj Khialani – celebrity Master Chef, is a Mumbai based Author, Writer, Food Designer, Academician having specialised in over 33 international cuisines. A Food & Beverage Consultant, he has worked with eminent properties like the Taj group of Hotels and Kuwait Airways to name a few. He has been awarded several Global and National Awards. Here he elucidates on the Lotus Stem and its health benefits and shares three of his favourite Lotus Stem recipes.
Let’s pick on a power packed organic & nutritious ingredient, loaded with a unique mix of essential nutrients, making it a quintessentially must have food in our diets and on our plates. It is also known as Lotus Root, and it is one such plant of which all the parts like the young flower stalks, stem, seeds are edible as well with a crunchy texture and a taste close to water chestnut. It is said that in the United States it is not so easily available hence people also grow them in their water gardens at home!
Lotus stem is also called as Nadru in Kashmiri language, Bhee/ Bhein in Sindhi and Kamal Kakdi in Hindi.
How to pick the correct one?
Most people refrain from picking a lotus stem due to various thoughts in mind. To clear these little confusions let’s note the following check and be confident to pick it up the next time you are at the market.
- When buying lotus root, you should choose the one with big body, heavy and firm with a vibrant brownish color, no damage, no colour change, no rust spot and continuous knot, and do not choose the one that looks too tender, avoid any stem with black spots or bruises on the rind.
- Smell the fresh fragrance of the normal lotus root, and the smell of “bleached lotus root” will have the smell of chemical reagent. When sliced the inside of a fresh lotus root should be giving a light pinkish color tone if it appears yellowish or so means it is not a good one.
- Touch the root. The surface of a normal lotus root is mostly with sediment and rough, while the surface of ‘bleached lotus root’ is relatively smooth and wet.
Besides the above 3 points, there are a few more observations which must be made to pick your best stem.
Try to buy two sealed or closed on both sides lotus roots. If there is mud in the lotus root hole, it can be cut lengthways for cleaning, or cut the lotus root into two or three sections and put them into the water; some of us even soak it in salted water for around 20 mins and then rinse it well.
Trivia on how to clean and store lotus stems:
- Cut the stems at the links to separate the segments and get the portion or part you need from it. Trim off the hard ends and remove the thin outer skin using a peeler. Rinse the stems well under running water, use a chopstick to push off any dirt if found inside the holes.
- Lotus stems are usually sliced crosswise to reveal their attractive pattern of holes which are usually seven or nine in number. They add a nice visual appeal to the dish or preparation to which it is being added and also the slight elongated look of the slices looks nice in food plating as well.
- At times it has been observed that they start discolouring once sliced; they tend to oxidise due to the polyphenols. To avoid this we can boil them in water to which a little white vinegar or a nice splash of fresh lime is added.
- Ideally they are at their best when picked fresh and used in a day or so, but in case you wish to store it in the fridge up to a week you can wrap them in a damp kitchen towel or a muslin cloth and secure the ends and refrigerate it.
Health benefits of Lotus Stem
A power packed house, full of nutrients and minerals which make up most of its composition, boil lotus stems for 10 mins and then consume them to have a healthy dose of nutrient support in your system:
- High in Vitamin C and boosts immunity.
- Good for the skin, hair and eyes.
- Stimulates blood circulation in our body.
- Protects against cardiovascular diseases.
- Helps regulate blood pressure.
- Lotus stems also prevents diabetes, improves digestion.
- Helps in weight management and satiety value.
Culinary applications of Lotus Stems
- Toss up some boiled lotus stem into your salads with an olive oil and mustard- lemon dressing.
- Good to add it to a clear veg soup with a hint of lemongrass and fresh basil in it.
- Popular ingredient used in Chinese style stir fries and snacky preparations with Chinese sauces, honey, chilli and spring onions.
- Sri Lankan gravies use lotus stems in a mildly spiced coconut based gravy serving them with hoppers/steamed rice.
- Korean and Vietnamese cooking also use lotus stems in their recipes from starters to main courses and side dishes.
- Add it to your choice of veggies for a nice Burmese Khow-Suey and it would add a nice crunch and flavoru to the Burmese delicacy.
- The Indonesian style satay concept, set it on a skewer, marinate it and then grill or pan fry them and serve it with a nice warm peanut satay sauce.
- Japanese cooking also has found it to be a convenient and artistic looking ingredient to add into their dishes, from soups to serving it cold with wasabi and sauces and dips.
Indian cuisine has a whole list of dishes in which I have tried to prepare my all-time favourite ingredient the Bhein as we call it in Sindhi!
I love it being cooked with spinach gravy to which a little dill leaves are added with a mild spicy blend and a touch of garlic; it just seeps into the flavours! The other option is to cook it in a nice besan and curd gravy like the Kamal Kakdi ke gattey Ki subzi, a tomato elaichi based gravy to which Bhein is added and simmered to perfection; goes well with hot phulkas and some kachumber.
Kamal Kakdi Ki chat, kurkuri Kamal Kakdi, Nadru Yakhni from Kashmiri cuisine is yet another interesting one. Adding them to pulao, biryanis, serving it lightly tossed in spices with some dal khichdi too is a heavenly experience.
Here are some of my all-time favourite recipes with Lotus Stems!
Nutty Chili Toss Lotus Stem
Ingredients
Lotus stem – 250 gms, sliced boiled and cooled
Oil – 1 tbsp.
Garlic – 3 to 4 cloves chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp chopped
Red chilies – 3 to 4 nos. sliced
Honey – 2 tsp
Red chili sauce – 2 tsp
Sugar – ½ tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Tomato ketchup – 1 tbsp.
Lime juice – 1 tsp
Spring onion greens – 2 tbsp. chopped
Roasted crushed peanuts – 2 tbsp. for garnish
Cornflour and water solution – 2 tbsp.
Water-1/2 cup
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the toss recipe.
- Heat oil, add in the red chillies, garlic, ginger and saute for 15 seconds.
- Add in the boiled lotus stem slices, seasonings, sauces and cook for 2 – 3 mins.
- Can also deep fry them separately and then add it here.
- Add in water, allow to boil, check for seasonings.
- Add in the cornflour and water solution to thicken a little.
- Add in the lime juice, spring onions, peanuts and serve hot as a snack.
Chef’s variations
- Add assorted bell peppers, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms etc to the same stir fry dish for a change.
- Add a little peanut butter as well to the above recipe for a nice blend of varied flavours.
- Add boneless cubes of chicken/cleaned prawns/ cubes of boneless fish for a non-veg variation to the same recipe.
Methi Lasooni Nadru
Ingredients
Lotus stem- 250 gms. Sliced, boiled.
For the Methi Lasooni masala:
Fresh Methi leaves – 2 cups chopped
Fresh coriander leaves -1 cup chopped
Garlic – 1 tbsp. chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp chopped
Green chilies – 1 tsp chopped
Ghee/Oil – 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Tomatoes – 3 to 4 nos. freshly pureed.
Water – ¼ cup
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Fried red chilli – 2 no. for garnish.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the recipe.
- Heat ghee/oil add in the ginger, garlic, chilies saute for 15 seconds, add in the freshly pureed tomatoes, salt and all powdered spices, Methi, coriander leaves, mix.
- Add little water and allow the masala to come together, add in the boiled Nadru slices and mix well simmer for 15 to 18 mins.
- Serve hot garnished with fried red chillies.
Chef’s variations
- Add in cubes of boiled potatoes with the Nadru in the same recipe to add to the starch elements.
- The same recipe can be made with blanched spinach puree as well.
- Try adding boiled lamb or mutton which has been simmered in a nice meat stock to this recipe it will enhance the entire taste of the recipe.
Kamal Kakdi Ki Tikiya
Ingredients
Kamal Kakdi – 250 gms. Sliced, boiled and mashed.
2 nos. boiled mashed potatoes
Oil – 2 tbsp.
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Chopped green chillies – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Chopped coriander – 2 tbsp.
Chopped mint – 2 tsp
Breadcrumbs – ½ cup
Maida – 2 tsp
Cornflour – 2 tsp
Oil to deep fry.
Chutney/ketchup as needed to serve along.
Method
- Prepare all ingredients for the recipe.
- In a pan, heat oil add in the ginger garlic paste, saute then add in the mashed Kamal Kakdi, potatoes, salt, spices and binding agents, cook the mix for 2 mins, cool.
- Mix well with hands to form a dough like texture.
- Divide the mixture into 10 to 12 portions for the tikkis.
- Apply little oil on the hands and shape the tikkis into rounds, coat with Maida/breadcrumbs and deep fry to a light golden color.
- Serve hot with green chutney, ketchup, dips and sauces of your choice.
Chef’s variations
- Try adding a little grated cheese mixed with nuts as a filling in the center of these tikkis.
- A combination of chicken keema cooked and mixed with Kamal Kakdi can also make it a nice snack
- Kamal Kakdi and soy keema also would complement well and add to the nutrients and shallow fry/ grill the tikkis and serve.
