Edible Stems

Khatti Meethi Teekhi Minarein 
(One of chef's best innovative dishes, which earned him the spot of top finalist in Master Chef India Season Two)

Ingredients

• 500 gm lotus stem, washed, peeled and grated
• 300 gm jimikand, cleaned and cut into ½ inch thick round slices
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying
• 4-5 tbsp besan, roasted
• 3 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp saunf powder
• ¾ cup fresh cream
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 2-3 sprigs dill leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp jeera powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tomatoes, seeds removed and 
• finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 apple scooped roundels
• 1 pack aam papad

Method

• In a saucepan, boil grated lotus stems. Once done, remove from water, pat dry, mash evenly and set it aside. Boil jimikand slices in salted water till it is 60 percent done and pat dry on a kitchen towel. 
• Heat cream in a frying pan on low flame, add the grated cheddar cheese, dill and salt and cook, stirring continuously till the sauce thickens. Remove from flame and keep it aside.
• Separate aam papad layers and cut them into roundels. In a mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt and red chilli powder to make a salsa. In another mixing bowl combine boiled and mashed lotus roots with roasted besan, 1 tbsp red chilli powder, jeera powder, saunf powder and salt. Moisten the mixture with a little water and make ½ inch thick round flat tikkis. Heat oil in a pan and fry these tikkis and jimikand slices till crisp and golden. 
• Now in a frying pan, heat some oil and toss in the fried jimikand slices with ½ tbsp red chilli powder, remaining jeera powder, coriander powder and little salt. Toss well and keep aside.
• To serve, make small bite sized towers with the tikkis, jimikand slices and aam papad. Separate these layers with salsa, put little cheese dill sauce on top and place a scooped apple piece as crown. 
• Important: Make sure that all the layers are the same size and shape. Use your imagination while arranging for serving. You should get the taste of all the layers in a single bite! 

 

Braised lotus roots
(A simple yet very tasty Korean recipe )

Ingredients

• 500 gm lotus stems, washed
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp oil
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ cup rice syrup (or ½ cup sugar)
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method 

• Slice lotus stems into ¼ inch thick discs. Soak them in cold water for 30 minutes. Boil some water in a pot. Add vinegar and blanch the lotus root slices for five minutes, uncovered. Rinse in cold water, pat dry and set it aside. 
• Heat oil in a heavy non-stick pan. Stir fry the sliced stems until they get a little softer and translucent. Add 2¼ cup water, garlic, and soy sauce. Stir and cover. Turn down the heat to low, and cook for 40 minutes. Occasionally open the cover and turn them over to brown evenly. Add more water if necessary. 
• Now add rice syrup or sugar and stir. Cover and let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes.
• Remove the cover, turn up the heat to medium high. Carefully stir and turn over the stems and braise for 10 to 12 minutes, until each slice gets shiny like jelly and almost all the liquid is evaporated.
• Remove from the heat and stir in sesame oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot with rice. 

 

Kashmiri Rogan josh 

Ingredients

• 1 kg mutton, cleaned
• ½ kg lotus stem
• 1 tbsp whole garam masala (1 nutmeg, 2 green cardamoms, 1 stick of cinnamon, a bay leaf and a black cardamom)
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 pinch hing
• 1 tsp amchoor
• 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp jeera powder
• ½ tsp saunf powder
• Salt to taste
• 200 gm curd, nicely whisked

Method

• Add oil in the pressure cooker and add whole garam masala, hing, onions and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté and add the mutton pieces. Add the chopped tomato, salt, kashmiri red chilli powder, saunf, jeera powder and garam masala powder. 
• Cut the lotus stems into large pieces and add it the pressure cooker. Now add curd and pressure cook for 5-6 whistles. Uncover and cook for some more time until the gravy thickens and the meat is tender. 
• Serve with rice, roti, naan or kulchas.

 

Lotus Stem Fritters

Ingredients 

• 1 cup besan
• 4-5 lotus stems, boiled
• ½ tsp red chilli powder 
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp amchoor
• ½ tsp ajwain
• Oil for deep frying

Method 

• Slit all the lotus stems and fill with a mixture of all the spices. Prepare a batter of besan, water, salt, red chili powder, and 1 tsp oil. Coat the lotus stems with this batter. 
• Heat oil in thick bottomed pan and deep fry them. Serve hot with chutney.