Spring Equinox · Lunch · Qi Deficiency
Rice-cooker chicken rice with fresh shiitake & Chinese yam
A one-pot rice-cooker lunch: tender chicken, with shiitake and yam soaking up the juices. Make it the night before for your lunchbox.
- 1 hr
- Serves 2
- Boil
- Easy
NeutralStrengthens digestion & qiRestores strength
Why it suits you: Qi Deficiency means tiring easily and weak digestion, and damp equinox weather makes the tiredness worse. Chicken, shiitake, yam and red dates gently build qi and support the spleen in one easy-to-digest pot — cook tonight, lunchbox tomorrow.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 45 min- 1Rinse the rice and soak it in 180 ml of water for 15 minutes — a little less water than usual, as the mushrooms and yam release liquid.
- 2Dice the chicken and marinate with the soy sauce, cornflour and ginger for 10 minutes. Slice the shiitake; wearing gloves, peel and dice the yam; dice the carrot.
- 3Spread the yam and carrot over the rice, then add the chicken, shiitake and red dates and start the normal rice setting.
- 4When it clicks off, leave the lid on for 10 minutes, fluff it up and divide between two lunchboxes. Cool and refrigerate within an hour.
- 5At the office, add 1 tbsp of water, cover and microwave on high for 2–3 minutes until piping hot.
Chef's tips
- Fresh yam sap can make your hands itch — wear gloves. No fresh yam? Soak 20 g of dried yam slices and use those instead.
The TCM view
Chicken is sweet and warm and builds qi; fresh shiitake is sweet and neutral and restores strength; Chinese yam is sweet and neutral and supports the spleen, lungs and kidneys; red dates are sweet and warm and nourish blood; carrot is sweet and neutral. Mildly warm overall — tonifying without heat, as the equinox asks.
