I prepared this dish based on the Caramelised Lotus Root recipe from Kylie Kwong’s My China with some substitutions and modifications.

• 3 pieces of lotus root, peeled and sliced thinly
• peeled and sliced ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic
• garlic olive oil
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp shao hsing wine
• 1 tbsp chinkiang vinegar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chili oil with black bean
• chili oil
• fresh herb, such as cilantro or basil

Add oil to a hot wok. Once the oil is heated, add the ginger and whole garlic cloves, and stir-fry until toasted and fragrant. For that extra boost of garlic flavor, I add a splash of garlic olive oil, which is sold at Costco. Next, I stir fried the lotus root for a few minutes, before adding the sugar, wine, vinegar, and soy sauce. The sugar and vinegar gives it a pleasant sweet-and-sour flavor. Kylie’s original recipe called for 1/4 cup of brown sugar, which I thought was a bit excessive. I ended up closer to the 2-3 tsp mark, and you can always add a bit more at the end if the balance between sweet and sour is off.

As the lotus root caramelizes, add 1 tsp of chili oil with black bean. I use the 老干妈 (laoganma) brand and stir fry for another minute. I finish the dish with some additional chili oil, and then some chopped fresh cilantro or basil leaves, depending on what I have on hand.