The Culinary Adventures of Kalbi Kimchi and Dumpring : When I say adventure, I really mean it

You wouldn't expect couple of college students to do this, but I'm all into trying something new. You'll never know you hate it unless you try. Kalbi and Kimchi are classic examples of that. When I first met them, the only vegetables they can stomach is potatoes. I refuse recognize that as a vegetable no matter how hard Kalbi tries to convince me. Kalbi: It is a vegetable, no doubt about it! HMPH
I started with something familiar and simple like Cabbage, and look at how far we've come. When I first picked out a lotus and told them I wanted to try this, imagine the reception (Kalbi and Kimchi: NO NO NO NO NO! No way we're trying this. What is this? How do you even eat it? Eww No!). Through much convincing and reassuring, we finally tried out first lotus. Now, it is one of their favorite dishes. So try something new! You never know unless you try it!

Lotus Meatball Stir-fry

Ingredients

(heads up, I never measure, I just estimate and dump... lol so don't rely on the measurement, I don't really have an idea how much 1 tablespoon really is... -_- I'm really estimating. lol)

about 1/2 cup of ground pork

1 medium sized lotus root

1 medium sized carrot

5-7 leaves of chinese napa cabbage (depending on the size)

5 cloves of garlic

3 green onions

1/2 table spoon of sesame oil

1 table spoon of soy sauce

2 table spoons of oyster sauce

1 table spoon of starch

water

salt

pepper

Now this is what I mean by adventure, get out of your comfort zones!

Lotus is known to have stringy texture after you chop it. It's completely normal. Chop up 1/3 of the lotus root into small pieces and mix with the ground pork. Add in pinches of salt, and pepper. Then soy sauce and sesame oil. Mince 2 garlic cloves and 1 green onion and add to the mixture. Then mix well.

For small meat ball patties with the meat mixtures. In a nonstick pan, turn the heat to medium high and wipe the pan with a paper towel dipped in olive oil. Then "fry" the meatballs until cooked, and set aside.

In a heated pan, stir fry the rest of chopped up garlic and spring onions. Put in sliced carrots and chopped lotus root until soft and tender.

Then add in sliced cabbage and cook until tender. Then put back the meatballs previously fried. Make a sauce using starch, water, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Then pour the sauce on top. When the sauce thickens, adjust salt to taste and drop a few drops of sesame oil on top.

ALL DONE!