Lotus curry recipe and the facts

To make the lotus root curry, wash the lotus root and cut into small pieces. Place it in a pan and add the fenugreek, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, fresh chilli, tomato and coconut milk, and cook for about 10 minutes or until the lotus root is cooked. Add the lotus fruit seeds to thicken the curry.Mom was shouting a lot ,I just ran around Durga Temple near Amarpokharee,the school located nearby the temple was the first choice of destination.But the friends circle always  felt happy to collect lotus in Amarpokharee,one need to just find out the root of lotus.

Then collect in bucket and take to home for daily meals.Obviously the flavor varies according to recipe and my momma has never left any chances to learn the recipe from book at home,I just love the taste of lotus as yummy cuisine. I started reading the information about the recipe and tried to explore the ideas about lotus.Lotus root is the long, tubular rhizome (or stem) of the plant known for its pale pink, white or yellow blooms. 

The rhizome has an ‘eye’ at one end, from which small roots extend into the ground and an internode at the other, from which numerous tubers can extend. Growing in strands, like links of sausages growing up from the mud, the stem can grow up to four feet in length. Young Lotus root can have a light purple or white skin; when mature, Lotus root has a brown-beige skin and its size can vary from short and squat to longer and narrow. 

Under the thin-skin, etched into the creamy white flesh of the Lotus root is a series of air pockets patterned in a pin-wheel shape that appear as if they once held seeds. These seed-shaped pockets allow for the foliage to rest buoyantly in water while the plant is alive. The root has a dense, crunchy and starchy texture with a faintly nutty and sweet flavor, similar to that of a water chestnut or taro root. The younger roots are more tender and used for fresh culinary purposes whereas mature roots are preferred in dried form. Lotus root can be found peeled and packed in a brine, frozen or dried. 

Lotus root is high in dietary fiber and is considered a good food source for energy, as it is high in carbohydrates and low in fat and protein. Cooked Lotus root can strengthen the spleen, promote functional activity of the stomach and promote tissue regeneration. The Lotus flower is considered sacred and revered by the Hindus and Buddhists as a symbol of purity, perfection and beauty. The Chinese consider Lotus root to have a “cooling effect” on the blood, and is used in ancient medicine for stimulating the appetite. 

Lotus has an archaeological history in China that dates back 7,000 years, and is where the plant is believed to have originated. The use of the root as food stretches back to nearly five thousand years ago. Lotus is grown primarily in China, Japan, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, though it has a wide distribution around the world. Today, only two varieties of Lotus root exist; white or pink flowered Lotus, which is the Chinese variety and the yellow flowered Lotus, which is found in the Americas.