In a pot, add the soaked seeds along with 4 cups (950 ml) of water. The next day, drain the lotus seeds and rinse them again. Place them in a bowl, cover with fresh water, and soak them overnight. If you can find them, it will make this entire recipe much easier!) (You can also buy lotus seed halves and skip this step. Remove and discard the green center, as it is very bitter. Using a butter knife, gently split the lotus seeds in half through the top opening.
Ok, let’s move on to the recipe! How to Make Lotus Seed Paste: Instructions Generally, it’s also ideal to use lotus seed paste when it has fully cooled in the refrigerator, so this recipe does require a bit of advanced planning. Then, they can be added to soups, congees, or made into this paste. Lotus seeds must also be soaked overnight before using. It is usually removed by cracking the seeds in half or by hand with a hollow needle. It’s best to buy lotus seed halves (if you can find them) to save yourself this very tedious step! The green center of the lotus seed-the germ-is very bitter. Plus, you’ll know exactly what went into it. If you make this lotus seed paste yourself to craft these sweet treats at home, you’ll save some money AND have pure lotus seed paste to boot. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with adding white beans, but it IS wrong that they still charge an arm and a leg for a box of mooncakes! Since lotus seeds are very expensive, however, some Chinese manufacturers add white beans to their paste mixtures to reduce costs. You’ll find lotus seed paste in many Chinese pastries, particularly mooncakes, fried sesame balls, and steamed longevity peach buns. Sarah told me that scientists have been able to germinate lotus seeds that were hundreds of years old! Some scientists believe they hold the secret to longevity.
They’re high in B vitamins, manganese, and phosphorus. Recently, dried lotus seeds have become popular as a “superfood” because of all the health benefits associated with eating them. This plant has many uses in Chinese cuisine (and Traditional Chinese Medicine), and has been used for thousands of years. In other words, every part of it is edible! It is an aquatic plant harvested for its leaves, roots, seeds, flowers, and even stems. Lotus seeds are, as the name suggests, the seeds of the lotus plant. With the Mid-Autumn Festival (mooncake season) coming up, I thought I’d post a recipe for this delicious filling, so you can craft your own Chinese pastries at home! My favorite application? Lotus mooncakes! What Are Lotus Seeds? Today, we’re going to talk about how to make lotus seed paste for mooncakes, steamed buns, and other Chinese pastries.