Rinse sticky rice 2 or 3 times and then soak with clean water for 1 hour or in fridge overnight. Drain and then mix well with around 2 tablespoons of white sugar.
Peel the rind off and cut around 1 to 1.5 inches from one end of the lotus root to serve as a lid.
Stuff the lotus root with sticky rice, slightly shake the lotus root or use a chopstick to push the rice grains into the holes. And then cover the lid and fix with toothpicks.
Add lotus root to a small pot and add water to cover. Place brown sugar, white sugar and red dates.Bring to boil and then simmer for around 20 minutes. Then flip them and continue simmering for 15 to 20 minutes. A short way is to cook in high pressure cooker for 30 minutes.
Cut the stuffed lotus roots into slices and drizzle with osmanthus syrup or honey.
Notes
For larger holes, try to pick fat and short lotus root sections. If you love a deeper browned color, use brown sugar only and skip white sugar.