Lotus Root and Beef Jeon

Hi everyone – long time no see. 🙂 Today, I will share a fun and delicious recipe using lotus root and beef with you. I’m not a big fan of “healthy” lotus root, however, lotus root jeon can be an exception. I love the chewy and crunchy texture of the lotus root’s outside and savory flavored soft beef patty inside. I think it is an interesting combination of texture and flavor that you need to try someday. As you see, it looks pretty and fancy, so it can be a good choice for special guests. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Also, I want to say thank you to everyone for your comments during my absence. 🙂

Yield: 16 Pieces

Short Korean Lesson

• ISa (이사) = Moving
• Sae Jib (새집) = New House

Video Instructions

Main Ingredients

• 8 oz Lotus Root (32 Thin Slices) & 3 Cups Water + 1 Tbsp Vinegar
• ⅓ Cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 Eggs (2 Pinches Salt)
• 2 Tbsp Onion
• 2 Tbsp Green Onion
• 1 Tbsp Red Hot Pepper (Optional)
• ½ Tbsp Garlic
• Cooking Oil for Frying

Beef Ingredients

• 1 Cup Ground Beef
• 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
• ½ Tbsp Soy Sauce
• ½ Tbsp Cooking Wine or Water
• ½ Tbsp Sesame Oil
• ½ tsp Sugar
• 2 Pinches Salt
• 2 Pinches Black Pepper

Directions

Obtain about 8 oz of peeled fresh lotus root. Slice it into thin slices of about 1/8 inch. You will need 32 slices for this recipe. If the lotus roots are too thick, you will have problems cooking the beef patty inside, so it is important to slice it thinly.

In 3 cups of boiling water, add 1 Tbsp of vinegar. Vinegar helps to remove some of the bitterness from the lotus root and it also helps to prevent it from browning.

Add the lotus root slices in the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds on medium-high.

30 seconds later, drain it and set it aside to cool down.

Meanwhile, mince (finely chop) 2 Tbsp worth of an onion, 2 Tbsp worth of a green onion, 1 Tbsp worth of red hot pepper, and ½ Tbsp worth of garlic. If you can not eat spicy food, you can use red sweet pepper or carrot instead of the hot pepper.

Obtain about 1 cup of ground beef and add the prepared vegetable ingredients into the beef. You can also use other ground meat such as pork, chicken, or some types of seafood. Shrimp or squid can be good option for seafood lovers.

Add all the ingredients for the beef to the beef and vegetables: 2 Tbsp all purpose flour, ½ Tbsp soy sauce, ½ Tbsp cooking wine or water, ½ Tbsp sesame oil, ½ tsp sugar, 2 pinches salt, and 2 pinches black pepper.

Mix everything together very well, so that the beef will form into nicely shaped patties.

Divide the beef mixture into 16 pieces. Each one will be about 1 Tbsp worth.

Put about ⅓ cup of all purpose flour on a flat dish. By this time, the drained lotus roots will be cooled. Dip and cover both sides of the lotus root pieces with the flour. Gently tap the flour covered lotus roots to get the right amount of the flour on the surface.

Place one lotus root slice in your hand. Put 1 piece of the beef mixture on top of the lotus root slice. Gently press the beef mixture over the lotus root, so that the beef will evenly cover it.

Cover the beef patty with another floured lotus root slice. It is like making sandwich. 🙂

Use the same process for the rest of the lotus root pieces. You will get about 16 pieces at the end.

Break 2 eggs and whisk them with 2 pinches of salt. Dip them one at a time into the egg mixture. Make sure that they get evenly covered with the egg mixture by dipping and flipping them in the egg several times.

Put them in a heated pan with a generous amount of cooking oil. Fry them on medium. Don’t fry them on high because the outside will get overcooked or burn and the beef inside will not be completely cooked.

Cook one side for about 5 minutes with patience, and then flip it over to cook the other side for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

Serve them warm with some soy dipping sauce. For your soy dipping sauce, simply mix some soy sauce, vinegar, and a little bit of water to your tastes. It is a healthy and delicious appetizer, snack, or side dish. Please try it someday and let me know what you think of it. Thank you very much. I hope to see you all again real soon. 🙂