How to Cook Lotus Seeds (Stove Top or Instant Pot)

lotus seeds cooked, served in white bowl with fresh mint and jasmine

How to Cook Lotus Seeds (Stove Top or Instant Pot)

How to Cook Lotus Seeds (Stove top or Instant Pot) shares the easiest and best ways to cook lotus seeds. Cooking lotus seeds is best accomplished with, first, an easy overnight soaking, and then the stove top cooking. But cooking in the Instant Pot is faster and slightly more effective -- plus, no overnight soaking is needed.

Both methods are great, depending on what tools you have!

Course dessert ingredient, seed, soup ingredient, tea ingredient

Cuisine American, Asian, Chinese

Keyword how to cook, instant pot, lotus seed, lotus seeds, stove top

Cook Time 35

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 27kcal

Author Megan

Cost $8

Equipment

large saucepan with lid OR Instant Pot
colander , optional but helpful

Ingredients

4 cups water
1 cup lotus seeds (or up to 2 cups if you want to make extra; they do freeze well if you like to meal prep)
1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

For those using the Stove Top method: First, soak seeds overnight in a bowl of water. In the morning, pour through a colander, and rinse briefly.

To cook: Fill pot (with lid) or Instant Pot with 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon sea salt.
Add 1 to 2 cups lotus seeds, depending on how much you want to make (they double in volume when cooked; so 1 cup dried seeds will yield 2 cups cooked).
Stove top: Bring water to a simmer, reduce heat so steady simmer is maintained when pot is covered. Cook 35 minutes. Remove pot from heat source. Allow seeds to remain in covered pot for 30 to 60 minutes, which completes a gentle cooking, without over-cooking.
Instant Pot: Press Manual button, and adjust time to 8 minutes. When timer goes off, allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then do a QPR.
Pour seeds into colander to strain. Use as needed in recipes.
Strained seeds can be stored, covered, in the fridge, for up to 4 days.

Nutrition