How long should you cook lotus root?

3 comments

1. Yes, raw lotus root is safe. If you’re using fresh lotus root, you just want to peel it and then slice it very finely with a very sharp knife, since it is quite hard. If you are cooking fresh lotus root, most preparations just have you cook until it is hot through. I don’t know if prepackaged lotus root is safe raw, but I’d be pretty sure that it’s safe when cooked just until hot. It takes a very, very long time to cook until it is fully tender. When boiled for 5-8 minutes as the recipe says, it will not be tender the way a boiled potato is tender; it will still be quite firm and crisp, yet it will have lost a bit of the hardness of raw lotus root. It’ll be less like a carrot and more like a cucumber.

2. crunchy pickles (tsukemono) was the intent, so depending on the thickness of the slices you bought and heat used, 30 minutes on medium heat (higher than simmer) will do it.

   raw lotus root can irritate the digestive tract for some due to the latex and high fibre. But the latex irritation is dealt with by soaking in sake or mirin for up to 1 hour before prep. Soak time depends on surface area/thickness of lotus root pieces.

   eta: raw lotus root is used in salads as well, so don’t worry.

3. You should be fine. As long as the slices are the size specified in the recipe – 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, you should be able to use the times in the recipe. Now if you got frozen that might need a few extra mins to come to temp. If eaten raw it might cause stomach upset if you’re sensitive but overall it’s fine. I would test the texture by biting into one. If the texture/crunch is pleasant, then continue with the recipe. If you’d rather it a bit softer then cook more.