Stir-fried lotus root with peppers (Qingchao ouding)

1. Peel the lotus root and cut it into 1 cm dice or thin slices; put it straight into cold water with the rice vinegar so it doesn't brown.

2. Deseed the pepper and cut it into dice the same size as the lotus root; finely chop the garlic.

3. Drain the lotus root, blanch it in boiling water for 1 minute and drain again.

4. Heat the oil in the wok and fry the garlic for 15 seconds.

5. Add the lotus root and pepper and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes, then pour the water down the side of the wok, sprinkle with salt and sugar and toss for another minute.

6. Serve immediately while the lotus root is crunchy and snow-white.

Tip: Lotus root's lacy, holey cross-section symbolises abundance; its flavour is mild and its texture crunchy, like fresh water chestnut. Colourful peppers brighten the dish – you can mix red and yellow.