A favorite Korean side dish that’s salty-sweet, crunchy, and so tasty: Braised Lotus Root or Yeongeun Jorim! A simple recipe that stars sliced lotus root cooked with soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, and corn syrup until glazy, and absolutely delicious. Nutty tasting and incredibly satisfying, they are also beautiful to serve!
Korean Braised Lotus Root (Yeongeun Jorim)
Korean Braised Lotus Root, also called Yeongeun Jorim, is a Korean side dish made from sliced lotus roots. Deliciously crunchy and crispy, it’s coated in a sticky, salty-sweet glaze. Filling, satisfying, and incredibly delicious with a bowl of white rice.
To make, you’ll need to blanch the sliced lotus root in vinegar to remove the bitter flavor. Then cook in a braising liquid of soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and corn syrup. As it cooks, the lotus root will absorb all the delicious flavor. By the end, the sauce will reduce to a sticky, glazy consistency. YUM!
Braising the lotus root helps the neutral-flavored vegetables to absorb deep flavour. The final result is a beautiful dish that sparkles with a shiny patina and an addictive, salty-sweet flavor. Enjoy!
Korean Braised Lotus Root is also one of the prettiest vegetables on the Korean table. They look like shiny, flower-like jewels and are almost too pretty to eat!
Love Korean side dishes? Check out Easy Korean Banchan Recipes. New to Korean Food? Start with Korean Food for Beginners.
What are Lotus Roots?
Lotus Roots are the edible stems of the Lotus plant. They are crunchy, mildly flavored, and filled with fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. Much loved by vegetable enthusiasts, they are hearty, filling, neutral-tasting and satisfying.
Lotus roots can be prepared in a variety of ways. They taste good steamed, deep fried, stir-fried and braised. Their versatility makes them a staple in Asian cooking. Like tofu, they absorb flavor well and taste good in both sweet or savory preparations.
Ingredients:
- Lotus Root. The edible, bulbous stems of Lotus plants. Nutritious, hearty, and filling. At the Asian market, look for them in packages where they come already peeled and sliced. Otherwise, buy them whole but you will need to peel and slice them yourself.
- Vinegar. Removes the bitter/astringent flavor.
- Soy Sauce. Do not use low-sodium soy sauce! The flavor will not be the same.
- Brown Sugar. Adds deep, caramel-y sweetness.
- Mirin. Japanese/Korean cooking wine.
- Corn Syrup. To create that shiny, sticky glaze at the end. I’ve tried subbing with honey, agave, and sugar but the final texture is not the same. Korean corn syrup is clear (called “mul-yeot”) but any light corn syrup works.
- Sesame Oil. A drizzle at the end adds so much nutty fragrance and flavor.
- Sesame Seeds. The pretty garnish adds a nutty crunch.
How to make Yeongeun Jorim:
- Blanch with vinegar. An essential step to remove the bitter/astringent flavor. Cover with water and 1 Tbsp vinegar. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain.
- Braise in liquid. Add drained Lotus Root back to the pan. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, Mirin, and water. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring with a silicone spatula from time to time.
- Reduce until dark + syrupy. Add corn syrup. Watch the liquid carefully as it evaporates. Cook until dark, saucy, and syrupy.
- Garnish and serve. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Enjoy cold or room temperature!
PRO Tips:
- Watch carefully. At the end, the braising liquid will evaporate quickly. Make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Spoon braising liquid over the vegetables. Scrape all that delicious braising liquid in the bottom of the pan on top of the lotus roots while cooking.
- Serve with rice. The salty-sweet flavor may be overwhelming on its own. Serve with rice to best enjoy the flavor!
- Use a non-stick skillet. For easy cleanup. The glazy sauce can be quite sticky and difficult to clean up.
- Use pre-sliced lotus root. To make it easier, look for packages of pre-sliced lotus root. They are lightly blanched and packed in water.
Serve with:
Make it a complete meal and serve with rice, soup, meat dishes, and few other side dishes.
- Rice. White rice, brown rice, or Korean Purple Rice all make nice additions.
- Meat. Easy Korean Beef Bulgogi, Spicy Pork Belly Bulgogi, or Asian Pork Riblets
- Soup. Add Kimchi Jjigae or Doenjang Jjigae for a traditional Korean meal set.
- Side Dishes. Add a variety of side dishes to round out the meal. Like Spicy Cucumber Salad, Steamed Egg (Gyeran Jjim), or Korean Potato Salad.
FAQ
Most Asian grocery stores carry Lotus Root in the produce section. You can find round lotus root bulbs. They will need to be peeled and sliced. Or, look for them in vacuum sealed packages. They are pre-sliced and lightly blanched, making this side dish even easier to make at home.
More Korean side dishes to enjoy:
- Soy Sauce Quail Eggs
- Spicy Fish Cakes (Eomuk Bokkeum)
- Air Fryer Panko Tofu
- Braised Tofu (Dubu Jorim)
- Steamed Egg (Gyeran Jjim)
- Korean Potato Salad (Gamja Salad)
Korean Braised Lotus Root (Yeongeun Jorim)
Equipment
- non-stick pan
Ingredients
- 1 package pre-peeled, pre-sliced Lotus Root
- 4 cups water
- 1 Tbsp vinegar
Braising Liquid:
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (do not use low sodium soy sauce!)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Mirin
- 1/4 cup corn syrup (any kind works)
Garnish:
- drizzle sesame oil
- sprinkle sesame seeds
Instructions
- Blanch. Rinse pre-sliced, pre-peeled Lotus Root with cold water and drain. Place in a non-stick pan and cover with 4 cups water and 1 Tbsp vinegar. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain.
- Cook. Add Lotus Root back to the non-stick pan. Add Lotus Root back to the pan. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, corn syrup, Mirin, and water. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until lotus root is dark brown in color and slightly crispy. If you like it softer, cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Stir with a silicone spatula from time to time.
- Reduce. Add corn syrup and mix with a spatula. Keep cooking but watch carefully as it evaporates, stirring often. Cook until dark, saucy, and syrupy. The corn syrup will create a shiny, sticky coating. Make sure to stir liquid from the bottom of the pot so the liquid doesn't burn.
- Serve. Garnish with sesame oil and sesame seeds. Enjoy cold or room temperature!
Notes
- Watch carefully. At the end, the liquid will evaporate quickly. Make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Spoon braising liquid over the vegetables. Scrape all that delicious braising liquid in the bottom of the pan on top of the lotus roots while cooking.
- Serve with rice. The salty-sweet flavor may be overwhelming on its own. Serve with rice to best enjoy the flavor!
