How to cook lotus root to make it softer? What are the methods and techniques for cooking lotus root to make it softer?

We all know that lotus root is a popular food. It can be eaten in a variety of ways. It can be boiled, fried, deep-fried, etc. It tastes very good and is loved by people. Most people like to use lotus root to make soup, so how to cook lotus root to make it softer? Let's take a closer look!

How to cook lotus root to soften it

1. Selection of lotus root

When choosing lotus roots in the market, you must pay attention to the fact that there is a kind of lotus root that is crispy and more suitable for stir-frying or cold dressing. If it is used for stewing, it is difficult to make it soft no matter how we stew it; and there is another kind of lotus root that is soft and can be easily stewed to a soft texture as long as it is cooked in a suitable way; the specific external characteristics of these two kinds of lotus roots are as follows:

Red lotus root: also called seven-hole lotus root, has a brownish-yellow, rough skin, contains more starch and less water, and has a glutinous texture rather than crispy and tender. This kind of lotus root is used to stew soup, and can be stewed to have a soft, rotten and sticky texture.

White lotus root: also called nine-hole lotus root, it has a delicate and smooth appearance, the meat inside looks very clean, and the taste is relatively crisp and tender. It is more suitable for cooking methods such as stir-frying and cold dressing.

Of course, if we cannot tell which type of lotus root it is with our naked eyes, we can tell the shopkeeper directly when purchasing that we want to use it for making soup and ask him to help us choose.

2. Processing of lotus root

Soak in salt water for 10 minutes before stewing: Wash the lotus root, cut into dice, and then soak it in salt water for 10 minutes. The cells of the soaked lotus root will lose water because the concentration of the external liquid is greater than the concentration of the cell fluid. Therefore, after being marinated with salt and then boiled in water, the lotus root cells will absorb water more easily and thus be easier to cook.

Baking soda pickling: before stewing, add appropriate amount of baking soda to marinate the lotus root for ten minutes, and put it directly into the pot without rinsing, which can help the lotus root to be quickly stewed and softened. But it should be noted that baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, alkali) can be decomposed into sodium ions, water and carbon dioxide gas under the action of acidic substances contained in food. The latter can play the role of fluffy food and can be cooked into a mushy state. However, the reaction of baking soda releasing gas is completed in a very short time, and the initiation of the reaction is difficult to control, so it is not advisable to use too much. Too much will produce bitterness or astringency.

3. Choice of cookware: Use cookware with fast heat transfer

Clay pot soup is usually cooked over a slow and balanced fire to fully release the umami and sweetness of some free amino acids, nucleotides, oligopeptides and other ingredients into the soup, which tastes better and dissolves more nutrients. However, because the clay pot conducts heat evenly and dissipates heat slowly, the stewing time is generally longer. At this time, if you want to shorten the stewing time, you can choose an iron pot or stainless steel stew pot with fast heat conduction; the simplest and quickest way is to choose a pressure cooker.

What kind of lotus root is easy to cook soft

There are two types of lotus roots.

The first one is: red lotus root is suitable for stewing, because it has a high starch content and is easier to stew soft. Just put the lotus root in the soup and stew it for about an hour.

The second type is: white lotus root is suitable for stir-frying or cold dishes, because it is always crispy and not easy to stew soft, so when choosing lotus root, you must be clear about what you plan to use it for.

If you accidentally buy the wrong one, it doesn't matter. Wash and peel the white lotus root, soak it in alkaline water for 40 minutes, rinse it, cut it into pieces, and stew it until it is very soft.

What are the tips for cooking lotus root until soft?

First of all, it is very important to choose the variety of lotus root. There are nine-hole lotus roots and seven-hole lotus roots on the market. Nine-hole lotus roots are suitable for stir-frying and salad, while seven-hole lotus roots are suitable for stewing soup.

Secondly, the seven-hole lotus root used for stewing soup is best used around November. The lotus root at this time contains less water and higher starch content, and the stewed soup is more fragrant and thicker.

Finally, the stewing time should be sufficient, about one and a half hours. To save time, you can also use a pressure cooker to cook.