First, prepare the ingredients: wash and peel the lotus root, then slice it thinly. Break the cauliflower into small florets, and clean the black fungus of sediment.
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2
Bring water to a boil, blanch the lotus root slices and cauliflower, then set aside.
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3
Blanch all kinds of meatballs (since they are frozen and won’t cook through directly stir-frying).
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4
Remove and drain the water completely.
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5
Cut garlic chives into sections, chop garland chrysanthemum into two large sections, cut romaine lettuce into chunks, and cut dried red chili into sections for later.
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6
Once all the ingredients are ready, first stir-fry the leafy greens.
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7
Heat up oil in the pan.
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8
When the oil is hot, add minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.
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9
Then add garland chrysanthemum, romaine lettuce, garlic chives, and enoki mushrooms, stir-frying together.
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10
When the leafy greens start to wilt, immediately take them out of the pan.
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11
Add some oil to the pan again.
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12
When the oil is hot, sauté minced garlic, dried red chili, and Sichuan peppers until fragrant.
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13
Add an appropriate amount of spicy hot pot base and stir-fry to release the red oil (adjust the amount of base according to the quantity of ingredients and personal taste).
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14
Add fresh shrimp and stir-fry.
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15
Then add the blanched meatballs and stir-fry evenly.
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16
Add black fungus, the blanched cauliflower, and lotus root slices.
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17
Add the previously stir-fried leafy greens back in.
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18
Season with a little salt, white pepper powder, and MSG, then stir-fry evenly.
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19
Finally, drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil and serve!
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Cooking Tips
We are using spicy hot pot base; it’s very convenient to directly stir-fry with this base, and I think the one I used tastes pretty good. You can buy it from the supermarket and just use it directly.
Even though we are using a base, dried red chili and Sichuan pepper are still essential. Relying solely on the base does not achieve enough spiciness and numbness.
The frozen meatballs from the supermarket won’t be cooked if stir-fried directly, so they must be blanched first. Cooking them for one to two minutes in boiling water is sufficient. Don’t cook them for too long; overcooking will make the meatballs mushy and less chewy, which is not tasty either!
No need to process fresh shrimp much; they cook fast, just like lamb slices or pork belly slices, which should also be stir-fried first.
For ingredients like lotus root, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes, they must also be blanched first before stir-frying.
For leafy greens like garland chrysanthemum or romaine lettuce, it’s crucial to stir-fry them quickly on high heat with hot oil to remove moisture. However, don’t overcook them; once they wilt slightly in the pan, they must be taken out immediately!