• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Healthy World Cuisine logo
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Health and Diet
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Health and Diet
  • Contact
  • About
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » International Cuisines » Chinese Cuisine » Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds

    Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds

    Published: Feb 18, 2013 · Modified: Feb 5, 2021 by HWC Magazine · 89 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds / https://www.hwcmagazine.com

    Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds is light, flavorful, crispy, crunchy, lucky Chinese stir fry that you can have on your table in 15 minutes flat. Fabulous way to ring in the Chinese New Year!

    Lucky shrimps and Lotus Seeds on a white plate with chopsticks and a red napkin.
    Jump to:
    • Chinese New Year
    • Sharing Different Cultures and Food
    • Food Symbolism
    • What are Lotus Seeds?
    • Lotus Seed Symbolism
    • How to Prepare Dried Lotus Seeds?
    • Entrée
    • How to Make?
    • 15 Minute Dinner
    • More Chinese New Year Recipes
    • Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds

    Chinese New Year

    Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the month of the new lunar calendar. We need to celebrate with more delicious Chinese dishes to make this Lunar New Year feel special.

    Special Chinese New Year plants to ring in the new year with a plate of the delicious stir fry.

    Sharing Different Cultures and Food

    I am blessed to have many friends who love teach me about their unique cultures and foods. It is fascinating to learn about this holiday's significance and all of the symbolism behind it. When family and friends gather, it is time to celebrate and look forward to all things good and new and the main way they do this is through food.

    Yes-food! When it comes down to it. We are all the same in every culture. We gather! We socialize! We eat!  From East to West this concept is one that is the same in every region. Well maybe an exception is at a weight watcher's meeting...

    Food Symbolism

    One of the aspects of this yearly celebration that is commonly emphasized is the foods that are eaten.  My Chinese friends tend to associate certain foods with the things they wish for the New Year, like prosperity, fertility, and good health, based on the symbolism evoked by these foods.

    For example, lotus root in Cantonese sounds very similar to the expression year after year. Eating our Spicy Lotus Root Stir Fry may help you bring abundance and prosperity in the new year.

    Close up showing the lotus seeds popping open when toasted.

    What are Lotus Seeds?

    Lotus seeds are seeds from the lotus flowers that grow in ponds.

    Today I am going to make a quick and easy Chinese stir fry dish using fried lotus seeds and shrimp. Lotus seeds come from the beautiful lotus flower that grows in ponds and rivers. Have you ever been to People's Park in Shanghai, China? The pond in Peoples' Park is filled with gorgeous lotus flowers as far as you can see.

    Lotus Seeds on a red plate.

    Lotus Seed Symbolism

    In the Chinese culture, lotus seeds symbolizes fertility and good luck. More specifically lotus seeds are exactly what you need for a bountiful year with new bouncing babies in your home. So if you are like me with grown teenagers in the house and wish for no more, go easy on this dish...

    baby corn getting steamed in the wok with a lid.

    I am hosting a Chinese family for a little lunar year celebration. So you may ask, what are you going to cook? Chinese dishes of course and I best brush up on my Mandarin.

    Shrimp and baby corn getting cooked in the wok with cooking chopsticks.

    How to Prepare Dried Lotus Seeds?

    Dried lotus seeds cannot be eaten straight out of the bag. Here is the preparation method...

    • Soak lotus seeds in water overnight
    • Remove the green part in the lotus seed with a toothpick if you want to keep them whole or cut them and remove the inner green part. This little green part is very bitter.
    • The easiest method is to cook them in the pressure cooker (Instant Pot) for about 10 minutes with about a 10 minute natural release of pressure. Alternatively, you can cook them on the stove top until tender. From there, they can be used in many recipes.
    Vietnamese lotus seeds vacuum sealed.

    Entrée

    However, I think sometimes simple is best, especially when your hosting a meal offering maybe 4-5 Chinese entrée dishes. My goal was to create a light and easy dish that whipped up in less than 15 minutes flat using my lucky lotus seeds. We created Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds and it is sublime.

    Cornstarch slurry getting added to the vegetables and shrimp in the wok.

    How to Make?

    I started out with usual stir fry with a little oil then added garlic (of course!) a little onion, baby corn and then some fresh shrimp from the wet market, created a cornstarch flavored slurry and then finished off the dish some baby peas and sprinkled crunchy fried lotus seeds on top of the dish.

    Veggies and shrimp in the wok with the delicious seasonings. Glossy and beautiful.

    15 Minute Dinner

    This Chinese dish is light, flavorful, crispy, crunchy, lucky and I had it on the table in less than 15 minutes flat. Good luck shrimp and lotus seeds is also gluten-free. If you do not have or can't get your hands on lotus seeds, no worries as this dish is flavorful and delicious even without.

    Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds

    More Chinese New Year Recipes

    Spicy Beef and Longevity Noodles

    Sticky Rice Chinese New Year Cake

    10 Fun and Easy Chinese New Year Recipes

    Chinese Vegan Radish Cake

    Daikon BACON Radish Cake

    Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.

    Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds

    Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds is light, flavorful, crispy, crunchy, lucky Chinese stir fry that you can have on your table in 15 minutes flat. Preparing dried lotus seeds is optional.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Mains
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Lotus Seed Prep: 12 hours hours
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 158kcal
    Author: HWC Magazine

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot optional

    Ingredients

    Lotus Seeds (optional)

    • lotus seeds
      (after soaked and pressure cooked) - handful sprinkled on top - optional garnish
    • water to soak lotus roots and to cook in pressure cooker

    Lucky Shrimp Stir Fry

    • 20 shrimp
      (large, deveined and heads and tails off)
    • 1 cup baby corns cut on a diagonal
    • ½ cup peas
    • ¼ onion
      small peeled and chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • ¼ cup water
    • 1 teaspoon chicken powder
      (gluten free) or chicken bouillon - 1 teaspoon or to taste
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • white pepper
      to taste
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • lotus seeds soaked and cooked - optional (Dish is also delicious with fried cashews or peanuts as a topping)
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Optional - Lotus Seed Preparation

    • If you plan on topping with optional Lotus seeds, soak dried lotus seeds in water overnight. Then, you can either use a toothpick to remove the green vein that is bitter or chop in half to remove.
      Then place lotus seeds in the pressure cooker (instant pot) and cover with an inch or 2 of water. Set the pressure cooker on high and cook for 10 minutes. Allow to naturally pressure release for 10 minutes and then release pressure. Drain and dry.

    Lucky Shrimp Stir Fry

    • Gather all your supplies and have everything chopped, cleaned and ready to go into the wok.
    • Make your Cornstarch slurry mixture: In a little cup, place ¼ cup warm water and mix in your gluten free chicken powder until dissolved. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch, sesame oil and white pepper to taste and stir. Set aside.
    • In a wok or frying pan place olive oil and turn on burner to medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and stirfry until translucent.
    • Add the baby corn and add a splash of water (couple of tablespoons and then place a lid on to top to help steam for about 1-2 minutes) Take the lid off of the vegetable-do not over cook, just until firm aldente.
    • Add the shrimp and keep stirring until they turn slightly pink, then add your optional lotus seeds and stir fry for a minute of 2 and then your cornstarch slurry mixture.
    • Add your peas and keep stirring until the mixture is light and has a silky broth. If broth is too thin add more diluted cornstarch and water. If mixture is too thick, add more water. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
    • Set your lucky shrimp stir fry on to a serving platter and enjoy with steamed rice.

    Notes

    If you cannot find dried lotus seeds, this recipe is delicious without them too. Feel free to exchange with cashew, if desired. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 356mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 303IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag us @HWCMagazine or hastag us #HWCMagazine!

    More Chinese Cuisine

    • Asian bay scallops stir fry with spring vegetables on a gray plate with rice on the side.
      Asian Bay Scallops Stir Fry with Spring Veggies
    • 2 iced black sesame latte - one topped with matcha cold foam and the other topped with strawberry cold foam.
      Black Sesame Latte: 4 Ways with Strawberry & Matcha Cold Foam
    • Gluten-free rice paper dumplings on a white plate with dipping sauce.
      Rice Paper Dumplings
    • Gluten free baked General Tso's chicken wings served up on a parchment paper lined plate.
      Baked General Tso's Chicken Wings

    About HWC Magazine

    Join our Healthy World Cuisine medical editors (trained in both Western and Eastern Medicine) and learn how to EAT your way around the WORLD from the comfort of your own kitchen. Grab free health tips, recipe ideas, meal plans and gain a better understand how eating choices can affect your health. Be the healthier and happier YOU!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 1 vote

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Barb says

      January 12, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      I love these. I always get lotus root when I can.

      Reply
    2. GourmetGetaways (@GourmetGetaway) says

      September 18, 2013 at 10:31 am

      What a delicious looking dish!!
      I love the fresh look of the food. YUM!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds / https://www.hwcmagazine.com

    WELCOME

    Hi There!
    Are you ready to explore new culinary frontiers, eat healthier, and save time – Then, you have come to the right place. Join Healthy World Cuisine (HWC) Magazine and learn how to EAT your way around the WORLD from the comfort of your own kitchen. Grab free health tips, recipe ideas, meal plans and gain a better understand how eating choices can affect your health. Be the healthier and happier YOU!

    Discover more about HWC Magazine →

    FOURTH OF JULY RECIPES

    3 no bake boozy cherry cheesecake jars topped with bourbon cherry compote on a white plate.

    No Bake Boozy Cherry Cheesecake Jars

    Tea smoked chicken legs on a plate garnished with oranges.

    Tea Smoked Chicken Legs

    Healthy summer salads with fruits displaying 5 different recipes.

    Healthy Summer Salads with Fruit

    Plate of deliciously grilled watermelon and cucumbers tossed in a Thai dressing on a white plate with a red and white polka dot napkin.

    Grilled Watermelon Salad (Thai Style + Video)

    SUMMER TIME FAVORITES

    4 ingredient keto okra on skewers grilling on a gas grill.

    Keto Grilled Okra with Tajín

    Black sesame nice cream in a scoop and in clear dish.

    Black Sesame Nice Cream

    Orange glazed air fryer salmon bites piled high on a black plate served with rice.

    Orange Glazed Air Fryer Salmon Bites

    3 no bake boozy cherry cheesecake jars topped with bourbon cherry compote on a white plate.

    No Bake Boozy Cherry Cheesecake Jars

    Footer

    Lucky Shrimp and Lotus Seeds / https://www.hwcmagazine.com

    ↑ BACK TO TOP

    • About
    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    • Contact/Work with Us

    Copyright © 2011-2025 HEALTHY WORLD CUISINE Privacy Policy

    EXCLUSIVE MEMBER OF MEDIAVINE FOOD

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.