These Breaded & Fried Lotus Root Slices are the perfect addition to rice and veggie bowls! They are crispy, flavorful, and so pretty!
Lotus root is used a lot in Southern and East Asian cuisine. So when I found lotus root frozen and cut into slices in my local Asia market, I had to buy them. Then months and years went by and they enjoyed their rest in the freezer. Oh, and I forgot to mention that it was a 1kg package, so it takes up a lot of precious freezer space.
And now, finally, I’ve been experimenting with preparing lotus root. I published this Lotus Root Tempura recipe not too long ago, and recently I found another delicious way of preparing them: Breaded & Fried Lotus Root. I’ve been making them this way a LOT. So I want to share this recipe with you too.
These Lotus Root slices are perfect for bowls (e.g. with veggies and rice, either hot or cold), salads, or you can even use them for banh-mi-style-sandwiches.
The egg replacement and breading measurements, by the way, are perfect to fry anything. Broccoli. Carrots. Cauliflower. Vegan shrimps. Tofu. Seitan. TVP. Whatever you can think of.
You don’t need a deep fryer to make this Breaded & Fried Lotus Root. I shallow-fried them in a pan.
Because lotus root on its own doesn’t taste like much (more like a potato?), I quick-marinated the lotus root in soy sauce and the breading gives it a lot of flavor too.
How to make Breaded & Fried Lotus Root
As always you will find the whole recipe in the box below, but I want to give you an overview of the key ingredients and the process with step-by-step photos first.
The Ingredients & Variations
You will need:
- lotus root – I use frozen lotus root already cut into slices
- frying oil – I use rapeseed oil but you can also use canola, sunflower oil, or peanut oil
- soy sauce – for a quick marinade
- all-purpose flour – just regular plain, universal wheat flour
- fine breadcrumbs – for the perfect, crispy breading I like to use a combination of flour, fine breadcrumbs, and panko breadcrumbs
- panko breadcrumbs – if you don’t have panko breadcrumbs, just use more fine breadcrumbs
- black and white sesame seeds – obviously not necessary but I love the speckles of sesame in the breading
- salt
The basic steps
Serve the Breaded & Fried Lotus Root with
It’s delicious in all kinds of rice and veggie bowls. You can also add it to sandwiches or salads.
Breaded Lotus Root FAQ
Yes! It’s the perfect bread-and-fry recipe for all kinds of veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potato slices, pumpkin cubes, and tofu, seitan, or tvp!
Yes. Peel it, cut it into slices, blanch it, and then you can follow the recipe as it is.
Here are more vegan fried recipes:
- Lotus Root Tempura
- Breaded & Fried Cauliflower Nuggets
- Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts
- Vegan Onion Rings
- Crispy Fried Falafel
Love it? Rate it!
I hope you enjoy this breaded & fried Lotus Root as much as I do! Let me know if you give it a try!
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Cheers, Bianca
Breaded & Fried Lotus Root
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 slices lotus root
- 2 tablespoons frying oil e.g. rapeseed oil (approx. 2 tablespoons of oil depending on the size of the pan)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Egg replacement
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Breading
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Let the frozen lotus root slices thaw at room temperature or in water. Then drain.
- Pour soy sauce over the lotus root slices and let them marinate for a few minutes, while we’re preparing the egg replacement and breading.
- For the egg replacement: Whisk together in a bowl: flour, water, and salt.
- For the breading: In another bowl combine flour, panko breadcrumbs, fine breadcrumbs, white and black sesame seeds, and salt.
- Bring a pan with oil to medium to high heat.
- Dip each lotus root slice first into the egg replacement, then into the breading, then place them into the pan and pan-fry them for approx. 3 minutes on each side until crispy and golden.
- Place the breaded & fried lotus root slices on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Then they are ready to serve!