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Sweet lotus root with sticky rice (糯米藕)
5 from 16 votes

Sweet lotus root with sticky rice (糯米藕)

Sweet lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice is a gentle dessert featuring crunchy lotus root sections filled with soft sticky rice. The root is filled with soaked rice, secured with slices acting as lids, then simmered in dark brown sugar syrup with Chinese dates until tender. The sweet cooking liquid complements the mild natural flavors, while the lotus root provides a crisp contrast to the chewy rice inside.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Soak
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 3 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

  • 70 g glutinous rice ⅓ cup, see note 1
  • 2 ection lotus root see note 2
  • 80 g dark brown sugar ½ cup, or dark muscovado
  • 10 Chinese dates optional, dried
  • honey or Sweet Osmanthus sauce

Instructions

Stuff the root
    Cup of Yum
  1. Soak glutinous rice in water for at least 2 hours. Drain well.
  2. Peel the lotus root. From one end of each section, slice off the top 1-2 cm to serve as lids.
  3. Fill all the holes of the lotus root with the rice. Pushing it down with a chopstick from time to time to make sure the holes are tightly packed.
  4. Place the “lids” back on. Use a few toothpicks to secure the lids (be careful not to break the flesh of the roots).
Cook the root
  1. Put the stuffed root into a small saucepan. Add dark brown sugar, Chinese dates and water (enough to cover the roots completely).
  2. Bring the water to a full boil. Turn the heat down to low. Leave to simmer for 2 hours. Flip the roots and add more hot water halfway through (see note 3 for pressure cooker method).
  3. Leave the root to cool in the water.
Serve the root
  1. Transfer the roots to a chopping board. Remove the toothpicks. Cut the roots crosswise into slices (0.5-1cm thick). 
  2. Boil about 100 ml of the cooking liquid until it thickens. Pour it over the lotus root slices.
  3. Add Sweet Osmanthus sauce or honey them serve. 

Notes

  • The quantity of glutinous rice may need adjusting based on lotus root size and hollowness for proper filling.
  • Choose larger lotus root sections for more stuffing capacity and even slices.
  • If using a pressure cooker, cook at high pressure for 30 minutes, then naturally release pressure before opening.