Lotus Roots anyone???? This was my latest pick from Indian store, which was quick frozen, packed and branded under Swad Frozen Foods. Kamal Kakdi or Lotus roots are native to Kashmir and have been used in a variety of their preparations. Fresh roots are deep fried, some added to curries and soups. These roots are loaded with Vitamin C and good source of fiber with low saturated fat. They don’t have much flavor as such but very good at getting intensified with whatever infused to them. Mostly thick, woody making them versatile for any preparation. Only downside, it takes a little longer to cook. But once cooked the right way, they turn out soft and tender holding their shape! Also remember cooking too long can make them go very mushy and unpleasant.
How to cook Lotus Roots?
In order to steam, you will either need to boil or pressure cook. Boiling over stove top in a pot of water could take 20 to 25 minutes over medium flame. Pressure cooking takes 2 whistles to make them tender. I’ve chosen to boil along with the kuzhambu ingredients to blend the flavor.
They have a slight sweet and earthy taste, offers light crunchy texture when briefly blanched or stir fried. Simmered in liquid base can turn them soft and tender, similar to texture of root vegetables like potato or carrot. Very low in calories and high in fiber, lotus root can be cooked in different ways. Here is one way to turn them into a delicious gravy!
Lotus Root Kuzhambu - Kamal Kakdi Curry
Ingredients
- 10 slice Lotus root
- 1 cup Onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Tomato chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 each Green chili slit
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Red chili powder
- 1 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp Sugar or Jaggery
- 1/2 tsp Mustard
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 6 leaves Curry leaves
- 1/4 cup Tamarind extract or thick store bought pulp 1tsp
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
- 1½ tsp Salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp Oil preferably gingelly oil
- 1 cup Water
- 2 tsp Coriander leaves chopped, for garnish
- 1 cup Veggie or Seafood of choice optional, *** Read notes
Instructions
Prep work
- Cooking Lotus Roots: In order to steam them you need to either boil or pressure cook. Boiling over stove top in a pot of water could take 20 to 25 minutes over medium flame. Pressure cooking takes 2 whistles to make them tender. I've chosen to boil along with the kuzhambu ingredients to blend the flavor.
- Additional veggies or seafood - Lotus roots are quite bland in taste, adding few veggies along with it can enhance the flavor. Veggies like drumstick, yam, potato, brinjal will work for vegetarians. Non vegetarians can add a few shrimp / prawns / fresh anchovies to make it extra special. This is purely optional, you can still enjoy a decent tasting gravy with just the lotus roots.
For Curry
- Heat oil in a sauce pan, splutter mustard, cumin and curry leaves.
- Sprinkle asafoetida powder and add chopped onions, green chili and crushed fresh garlic.
- Fry for 5 minutes over medium flame or until translucent.
- Now add chopped tomatoes, along with lotus root cuts. ( Optional: At this stage, add any one veggie of choice, if desired )
- Saute for couple of minutes in the onion tomato mixture.
- Now add water and turmeric powder. Bring this to a boil, then cover and cook over low flame for next 20 minutes or until the roots turn tender. ( A knife inserted should pass through the root easily and come off the other side, indicates its cooked through )
- Once it cooks, add red chili powder, coriander power, sugar, tamarind extract and salt. (Any soft veggie or seafood can added at this stage)
- Cook this gravy base for 5 to 6 minutes and simmer for 10 or until the oil separates on top.
- Garnish with coriander and curry leaves. Turn it off!
- Serve lotus root kuzhambu topped over piping hot rice!
Notes
- You can also substitute red chili powder and coriander powder with 2 tablespoons of Kuzhmabu Milagai thool.
- Fresh Lotus roots are hard to find here in the USA, I have used frozen lotus roots picked from local Indian Stores.
- Additional veggies or seafood - Lotus roots are quite bland in taste, adding few veggies along with it can enhance the flavor. Veggies like drumstick, yam, potato, brinjal will work for vegetarians. Veggies like drumstick , yam or potato can go along with the lotus root as they also take long time to cook. While soft veggies like brinjal can go in after cooking the lotus roots. Non vegetarians can add a few shrimp / prawns / fresh anchovies to make it extra special. This is purely optional, you can still enjoy a decent tasting gravy with just the lotus roots.
My idea is to give them little life by adding it to my flavorful kaara kuzhambu. Making Kuzhambu just with plain roots will be very blunt tasting.. so throw in some veggies of your choice or even seafood.
Kara Kuzhambu / Kulambu / Kolambu / Era Kuzhambu / Shrimp / Meen / Kamal Kakdi / Lotus Stem / Rhizome / Lotus Root Curry / Lotus Stem Curry
- You can also substitute red chili powder and coriander powder with 2 tablespoons of Kuzhmabu Milagai thool.
- Fresh Lotus roots are hard to find here in the USA, I have used frozen lotus roots picked from local Indian Stores.
- Additional veggies or seafood – Lotus roots are quite bland in taste, adding few veggies along with it can enhance the flavor. Veggies like drumstick, yam, potato, brinjal will work for vegetarians. Veggies like drumstick , yam or potato can go along with the lotus root as they also take long time to cook. While soft veggies like brinjal can go in after cooking the lotus roots. Non vegetarians can add a few shrimp / prawns / fresh anchovies to make it extra special. This is purely optional, you can still enjoy a decent tasting gravy with just the lotus roots.
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