Renkon Kinpira
Lotus root stir-fried in a sweet sesame-soy glaze.
Ingredients
- 400 g Lotus root
- 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 2 tbsp Mirin
- 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 Dried chilies (optional)
Method
- Peel and thinly slice the lotus root, soaking the slices in cold water to keep them pale.
- Drain and pat the lotus root dry. Stir-fry in the sesame oil with the dried chili over medium-high heat until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.
- Add the soy, mirin, and sugar and toss until the lotus root is evenly glazed and glossy, about 2 minutes.
- Scatter with sesame seeds and serve.
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About Renkon Kinpira
Renkon kinpira is a classic Japanese side dish built on kinpira, a home-cooking technique of stir-frying a firm root vegetable and then glazing it in a sweet-savory sauce of soy, mirin, and sesame. Here the star is renkon, or lotus root, whose cross-sections reveal the lacy ring of holes that make it instantly recognizable and give every slice a delicate, almost floral look on the plate. It sits squarely in the world of the Japanese meal's small supporting dishes — the kind of thing that rounds out a tray of rice, miso soup, and a main, or slips into a bento box where it keeps well.
The pleasure of this dish is textural: lotus root cooked this way stays crisp and snappy, closer to a water chestnut than to a soft-cooked vegetable, and the quick stir-fry over higher heat protects that bite. Soaking the raw slices in cold water first keeps them pale and clean-tasting rather than gray, and toasted sesame oil carries a nutty warmth through the whole pan. The glaze reduces down to a glossy coat that's sweet from the mirin, salty from the soy, and gently warmed by dried chili, finished with a scatter of sesame seeds for a little extra toastiness. It's fast, light, and a good introduction to lotus root if you've only ever seen it in a photograph.
Renkon Kinpira: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Renkon Kinpira?
A serving has about 148 calories — 4g protein, 20.7g carbs, 5.5g fat, 5.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Renkon Kinpira gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu). You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Renkon Kinpira?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out sesame seeds, dried chilies — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Renkon Kinpira make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.