Lotus Root Stuffed with Sticky Rice for Glowing Skin

If your skin gets extra red, inflamed and dry during the winters and your lips are constantly chapped no matter how much water you’re drinking, it’s a sign your body’s out of balance. In Chinese Medicine, these symptoms might be indicating that you are Yin deficient. One way to rebalance the body is through ‘diet therapy’, basically adjusting your diet to include more cooling and hydrating foods. Lotus root happens to be in season now during the winter and is prized in Chinese medicine for its cooling properties. Here’s how to make this delicious dish. If you need help finding some of these ingredients, check out my Amazon shop:

Ingredients:

• 1 lotus root

• 1/4 cup sticky rice soaked overnight

• 1 block of Chinese black sugar

• 1/4 cup dried jujube dates

• 1 tsp of osmanthus flowers for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

• Soak the sticky rice overnight

• Next day, wash the lotus root and peel the skin off

• Cut about 1 inch off the top and bottom root nodes and keep those for later use

• Carefully use a small spoon to funnel the rice into the lotus root holes, using a chopstick to help push the rice down

• Once it’s filled to the brim, flip over and check if there’s anymore rice that can fit

• Once the root is filled, place the cut off ends back on and secure in place with toothpicks so the rice doesn’t fall out when cooking

• In a deep saucepan, add the lotus root in and fill with enough water to cover

• Add in the black sugar and jujube dates

• Stew for 40 mins - 1 hour

• Remove the lotus root and slice

• If you’d like, reduce the remaining jujube and sugar water until it’s a syrup, add in some osmanthus flowers and drizzle over the final lotus root dish