Burdock and Lotus Root Bites (Gobō to Renkon no Korokoro)

Fall/Winter, Gluten-Free, Japanese, Side Dishes

Source:

Ingredients

1 burdock root (gobō)

1/2 section lotus root (renkon), about 100 g

1.5 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko; plain flour also works)

about 1 tbsp ground sesame (surigoma)


Seasoning

a little salt

plenty of black pepper


To finish

a little sansho powder

a little sesame oil

Directions

Scrub the dirt off the burdock and cut it into pieces 1–1.5 cm thick. Wash the lotus root well, keeping the skin on, and cut it into 1–1.5 cm cubes.

In an oiled frying pan, first fry the lotus root slowly. When the surface is fragrant and crisp, salt it lightly and take it out.

Add a little more oil to the same pan. Dust the burdock with salt and potato starch and fry it slowly. When the surface is crisp and it is cooked through, return the lotus root.

Season with black pepper and toss everything. Move to a bowl, mix in the ground sesame and plate. Finish with a little sansho powder and a few drops of sesame oil.

Notes

Original title: ごぼうと蓮根のコロコロ. Translated from the Japanese reel caption.

Ingredients may be hard to find: burdock, lotus root and sansho are usually in Asian/Japanese grocery shops; lotus root is often sold frozen. Possible substitutes (untested): salsify (Schwarzwurzel) for burdock; Szechuan pepper with a little lemon zest for sansho.