Yeongeun Jorim is lotus root slowly braised in a sweet and savory sauce. This root crop is a Korean banchan you won’t expect to love!
Yeongeun means lotus root and Jorim means braised down. Combined, this means the root crop is slowly cooked in a delicious broth that will reduce to a savory and sweet sauce. This is a common technique used in other Korean side dishes like tofu, potatoes, and burdock root!
Lotus Root is a type of root crop that looks like a pale, oversized potato. This is a common ingredient in Chinese hotpots or Japanese stir-fries. It has holes in the middle that resemble a flower when peeled.
When raw, lotus roots are crunchy. When cooked, it resembles the softness of a potato, the fibrous, chewy texture of a radish, and it has a very similar taste to water chestnuts.
Here I’ll share how to make this surprisingly addicting banchan. It’s going to be crunchy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside! Let’s go!
Ingredients for Soy Braised Lotus Root
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Lotus Root
Lotus Root is common in Asian groceries. You can find them either fresh or ready to cook.
If you get the fresh ones, you can peel them like a carrot and slice them 1/3 inch thick. Wash and pre-boil them in water, salt, and vinegar for 10 minutes. This removes the bitter taste of the lotus roots. Afterward, soak in water to reduce the starch until ready to use.
If you are using the prepackaged ones, they are usually vacuum-sealed in a plastic bag, have already been pre-boiled, and are ready to be used. You simply need to slice and soak them in water to prevent browning or oxidation and also to reduce starch. Soak until ready to use.
Braising Sauce
- Garlic and Ginger – These are the aromatics we will be using in the dish.
- Soy Sauce – This will bring the savor and umami—the base of the sauce.
- Plum Sauce, Mirin, Honey, Corn Syrup, and Brown Sugar – These are five different sweeteners but they also bring different flavors to the dish. Plum sauce and mirin bring a bit of acidity, honey brings some floral, fruity notes, and the corn syrup and brown sugar make a nice glaze to the result of the dish. If you lack any of these ingredients, honey and brown sugar will do.
- Sesame Oil and Sesame Seeds – These will bring nuttiness to the dish and they will complement the soy sauce too!
- Dashi Stock – This is where we will braise down the lotus roots. It’s essentially some dried kelp, dried radish, and dried anchovy in a bag and boiled for 10 minutes. If you don’t have any of these, water is okay!
How to make Korean-style Lotus Root?
There is no other preparation needed for the dish aside from slicing the lotus roots (especially when you’re using prepackaged ones), and then washing and soaking them in water. Combine soy sauce, plum sauce, and mirin and set aside.
With a little bit of oil, saute the lotus root for three minutes. Add garlic and ginger, mix well, and add the sauce.
Cook down the sauce until they are slightly absorbed, then add the dashi stock. Bring the stock to a boil, then turn the heat to low so the lotus roots get braised down slowly.
When stock has reduced to almost running out, add honey and corn syrup. Mix it until everything is coated well.
Continue to reduce the braising liquid until it is completely absorbed by the lotus roots. Add sesame oil, sesame seeds, and black pepper. Give it one last toss and taste. If you feel it is a little bland, add soy sauce and sugar.
The goal is to cook the stock down so that everything is absorbed by the lotus roots. You will see that it’s turning into a beautiful amber color, glossy, and the roots have softened at this point. Add one last tablespoon of sugar for a nice crust. Plate and garnish with more sesame seeds and enjoy!
Serving and Storage
To serve, this is meant to be a little sugary and a little salty because this is gonna go perfectly with a bowl of rice. Usually, we serve this in a lunch box for a picnic or on special occasions! It is a long process to make this that’s why it’s a very special side dish.
For any leftovers, simply store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Other Korean side dishes you might like:
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Korean Braised Lotus Roots (Yeongeun Jorim)
Ingredients
- 500 grams Lotus Roots
- 2 tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil For sauteing
- 6 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Mirin
- 2 tbsp Plum Sauce
- 1 tbsp Garlic
- 1 tsp Ginger
- 2 cups Dashi Stock
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 4 tbsp Corn Syrup or Sugar
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
- Black Pepper Optional
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the lotus roots by slicing them 1/3 inch thick. Wash and soak in water until ready to use.
- Combine the soy sauce, mirin, and plum sauce, and set aside.
- Drain the lotus roots and in high heat, saute it for three minutes.
- Add ginger and garlic and continue sauteing. Add the sauce and mix it well.
- Allow the sauce to reduce a little and add the dashi stock.
- Bring the stock to a boil then lower the heat and allow it to reduce slowly.
- Once the stock has reduced till almost running out, add the honey and corn syrup. Coat the lotus root well.
- Continue boiling until there’s no more stock, add sesame oil, sesame seeds, and black pepper. Mix well then taste and adjust. If it’s bland, add more soy sauce and sugar.
- Add one last tablespoon of sugar. Allow the sugar to dissolve and coat the lotus root into a beautiful glaze.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, serve, and enjoy!
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