Ingredients

• 1 fresh lotus root (medium size
• about 400g/14oz)
• 500ml/18fl oz vegetable oil
• plus a little extra for cooking
• flaked sea salt
• shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice seasoning)
• 4 tbsp rice flour (or cornflour if none available)
• 2 pieces firm tofu
• about 375g/13oz
• cut into 2.5cm/1in squares
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 medium onion
• finely chopped
• 2 medium leeks
• trimmed
• washed and sliced into 1cm/½in diagonal slices
• 2 Japanese aubergine
• cut into 2cm/¾in discs (alternatively you can use a normal aubergine cut into 2cm/¾in discs)
• 4 garlic cloves
• finely grated
• 2 tbsp finely grated ginger
• 150g/5½oz brown shimeji mushrooms
• trimmed
• 2 tbsp heaped miso paste
• 4 tbsp mirin
• 5 tbsp soy sauce

Directions

• Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Peel the lotus root
• cut off a third and set it aside. Add the rest of the lotus root to the pan. Turn the heat down and cook the root for 30 minutes at a very gentle simmer. Make sure you cook the root immediately after peeling as it will darken quickly. If preparing it in advance
• put the lotus root in water with a little vinegar. Canned lotus root does not need preparing in this way and can be added straight to the stew.
• Finely slice the remaining third of the root on a mandolin or
• using a very sharp knife
• thinly to use it to make crisps.
• For the lotus root crisps
• heat a wok or deep-fat fryer with 500ml/18fl oz of vegetable oil to about 180C/350F (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Cook the thinly sliced lotus root in two or three batches for about five minutes
• or until golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Season with salt and shichimi togarashi and set aside.
• Carefully pour the hot oil out of the wok you used for the crisps
• reserving about five tablespoons in the bottom.
• Sprinkle the rice flour onto a plate and coat the tofu evenly. Heat the oil in the wok and fry the tofu in a couple of batches on a medium heat
• turning until lightly golden-brown
• slightly crispy and a little puffy - this will take about eight minutes. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil
• and keep warm.
• Clean the wok and add the sesame oil and two tablespoons of fresh vegetable oil. Fry the onion for a few minutes
• add the leeks and cook until soft and just slightly golden-brown. Add the sliced aubergine and cook for further six minutes
• or until soft.
• Add the grated garlic and the grated ginger. Fry again for a further couple of minutes stirring continuously
• so that the garlic doesn't burn.
• Cut the cooked lotus root into 5mm slices and add it to the onion and aubergine mixture. Tip in the shimeji mushrooms
• add two heaped tablespoons of miso paste and fry for a minute. Add the mirin
• soy sauce and 300ml/10fl oz of boiling water.
• Bring back to the boil
• and carefully fold in the tofu. Place into serving bowls and top with the lotus root crisps.