Renkon Kinpira
Lotus root stir-fried in a sweet sesame-soy glaze.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 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.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
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?
One serving of Renkon Kinpira has about 154 calories, with 4g of protein, 24g of carbs, 6g of fat and 5g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact 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.