Yeongeun jorim (연근 조림) is a popular fall side dish that’s made with lotus roots. It’s sweet, savory and crunchy! Lotus roots (yeon-geun) are widely used in Korea and other Asian countries. This sweet soy braised dish is one of the most popular dishes made with lotus roots in Korea. It surely deserves a spot on your favorite basic side dish (mit-banchan, 밑반찬) list.
As I mentioned in my stir-fried lotus root post, lotus root is the stem of the lotus plant, which is high in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. It has a mildly sweet taste, and a fibrous, starchy and crunchy texture.
This dish is prepared similar to other Korean sweet soy braised dishes such as kongjang and jangjorim. For yeongeun jorim, you first peel and slice the lotus roots and then pre-boil in water with a little bit of vinegar before braising. This is a technique Korean home cooks use to reduce the starch level and remove any bitterness of the lotus root.
As for the braising liquid, I simply used water as a base, but dashima broth or dried shiitake mushroom soaked water would add another layer to the flavor. You can also add a few slices of garlic or ginger if you like.
The cooking time I used here gives a right amount of crunchiness and chewiness to the lotus root to my taste. If you like it crunchier, reduce the pre-boiling time from the recipe. Likewise, if you want it softer and chewier, pre-boil longer.
- 1 pound lotus roots (yeon-guen, 연근)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup or Korean oligodang (or rice malt syrup, jocheong, 조청 or honey)
- Cut the tough ends of the lotus root, and peel the skin with a potato peeler. Thinly slice the lotus root, about 1/4-inch thick.
![Yeongeun jorim (Sweet soy braised lotus roots)]()
- Add the lotus root slices to a medium size pot with enough water to cover them and a tablespoon of vinegar. Bring it to a boil and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
![Yeongeun jorim (Sweet soy braised lotus roots)]()
- Drain, and rinse with cold water.
![Yeongeun jorim (Sweet soy braised lotus roots)]()
- Return them to the pot. Add 1 cup of water and the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and oil. Bring it to a boil.
![Yeongeun jorim (Sweet soy braised lotus roots)]()
- Continue to boil, uncovered, over medium high heat until the liquid is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to rotate the lotus root slices.
![Yeongeun jorim (Sweet soy braised lotus roots)]()
- Add the corn syrup and sesame oil, and stir well until the liquid is almost gone, 3 to 4 minutes. keep your eyes on the pot to avoid burning the lotus root. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds to serve.
![Yeongeun jorim (Sweet soy braised lotus roots)]()
- Keep the leftover in the fridge. Coat with the sauce at the bottom when serving.
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