Spring Equinox · Tea break · Balanced
Red bean bowl puddings
A nostalgic Hong Kong street snack: springy rice-flour puddings steamed in little bowls, studded with red beans and eaten off a skewer.
- 1 hr 5 min
- Serves 4
- Steam
- Medium
NeutralStrengthens the spleenDrains water
Why it suits you: Balanced types simply follow the Spring Equinox principle of keeping yin and yang in balance. Red beans strengthen the spleen and drain water, rice supports digestion and brown sugar warms the middle: neither cooling nor heating, just right for an afternoon nibble.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 50 min- 1Simmer the red beans in water for 30 minutes until tender but whole, then drain. Oil the little bowls and warm them in the steamer.
- 2Mix the rice flour and cornflour with 250 ml of the water into a slurry. Dissolve the sugar in the remaining water over the heat, then take off the heat and slowly stir in the slurry to make a thin batter.
- 3Put a teaspoon of beans in each bowl, fill to four-fifths with batter and steam on high for 20 minutes. Cool, then ease out with a bamboo skewer.
Chef's tips
- Stir the slurry again just before adding it to the hot syrup, as the flour settles quickly.
The TCM view
Red beans are sweet, sour and neutral, strengthening the spleen and draining water. Rice is sweet and neutral and supports qi and digestion; brown sugar is sweet and warm and harmonises the middle. Together they strengthen the spleen without leaning hot or cold.
