White Dew · Tea break · Yang Deficiency
Air-fried ginger pumpkin glutinous rice cakes
Golden pumpkin cakes, crisp outside and chewy inside, with a gentle warmth of ginger and very little sugar.
- 40 min
- Serves 3
- Air-fry
- Easy
WarmingWarms & dispels coldBuilds qi
Why it suits you: Yang Deficiency means feeling the cold, and cooler White Dew evenings plus air-conditioning make cold hands and feet worse. Pumpkin, glutinous rice and ginger are all warming, settling and filling — a good swap for iced drinks and cold snacks.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min- 1Slice the pumpkin thinly and steam over high heat for 10 minutes, or microwave on high for 4–5 minutes, until soft.
- 2Grate some old ginger and squeeze out 1 tbsp of juice. Mash the pumpkin while hot and mix in the sugar and ginger juice.
- 3Add the glutinous rice flour bit by bit and knead into a dough that doesn't stick. Divide into 8, roll into balls and flatten to 1 cm thick.
- 4Brush both sides lightly with oil and air-fry at 180°C for 10–12 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and slightly puffed.
- 5Eat 2–3 while warm, with a cup of warm water.
Cautions
- Glutinous rice is heavy to digest — 2–3 cakes is plenty if you bloat easily, and go easy if you are watching your blood sugar.
Chef's tips
- Pumpkins vary in moisture; if the dough is wet, knead in a little more flour until it stops sticking.
- No air fryer? Pan-fry in a non-stick pan with a little oil over low heat, 3–4 minutes per side.
The TCM view
Pumpkin is sweet and warm and builds qi; glutinous rice is sweet and warm and warms the spleen and stomach; ginger juice is pungent and warm — it dispels cold and helps the sticky rice digest; a little brown sugar is sweet and warm. Warming without drying — suited to low yang and a cold stomach.
