Give In to the Asian Persuasion + Lotus Root Chips

I cook a lot of Asian dishes - they're easy to make vegetarian and the varieties and options are endless. And, as the "foodie" culture has grown, so has the availability of ethnic ingredients at your standard grocery store. If you're really into cooking authentic dishes however, you're going to reach a point where certain ingredients become hard to find. That's when you make your first trip to an Asian or other ethnic market.

Vinh an Oriental Market in North Miami Beach

In Miami there isn't a huge Asian population so you won't find as many markets as you would say, the West coast, where there seems to be one on every block. In fact only 1.5% of the population in Miami-Dade is Asian (compare that to Seattle with 13% of the population). Either way there are several great markets in the area.

A great thing about these markets is that they tend to sell items at a fraction of the price you would find in a major grocery chain.  A 4 oz. jar of curry paste at Publix is $4.19 while you can get a 14 oz. tub for $3.99 or a 8 oz. package of shirataki noodles for $2.29 vs. a 16 oz. package for $2.50. You can find not only exotic ingredients but regular fresh vegetables at these amazing prices.

My most recent favorite market I've visited is Vinh an Oriental Market on NE 167th Ave. The man that owns this place is sweet, helpful and has a wealth of knowledge about the products he sells. I've found great items such as shirataki (yam flour/extremely low calorie) noodles, lotus root (recipe below), fermented black beans, soy puffs amongst many other things.

Just two blocks away you'll find what looks to be an old drug store - Beijing Mart. A little bit cleaner and brighter than your standard, this place does have a good variety like Vinh's and slightly cheaper on some products. There were things I found here that I didn't find at Vinh's and vice versa.

Beijing Mart

In South Miami, you can find PK Oriental Market at 9501 SW 72 St. The owner is always around and is a very nice lady. I never make it down here because of the distance and personally I prefer Vinh's for a number of reasons. Not far from this one you'll find Lucky Oriental Mart, one of larger markets in Miami at 8356 Bird Road.

Baked Lotus Chips 

Excellent on their own or as a garnish for dishes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (16 oz) Boiled lotus root slices - I found this prepackaged at an Asian market, but feel free to use fresh
• 2-3 tsp vegetable oil
• 2-3 tsp or to taste of a spice blend of your choosing such as cajun seasoning etc.*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 
2. Rinse boiled lotus root slices in cold water [Note that if you buy uncooked lotus root, you should cook them in boiling water with approx. 2 Tbsp rice vinegar** for about 15 minutes before proceeding]. Drain and pat dry with paper towel and place in a large bowl.
3. Drizzle with a small amount of vegetable oil and toss to coat.
4. Toss in seasoning of choice to coat evenly.
5. Arrange slices in a single layer on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Flip slices over and bake another 10 minutes or until crispy and golden. Keep an eye on your chips especially during the last 10 minutes as ovens vary and the amount of oil you use/how dry the slices were will impact cooking time needed.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

*I tend to add spices to foods without any set structure. For these, I've liked a blend of chili powder, cumin, salt and sugar, but feel free to do whatever you like.
**Lotus root can brown much like apples when exposed to air so using vinegar or lemon juice will help prevent this from happening