Pork and lotus root braised with red fermented bean curd, with rice
Starchy lotus root and pork shoulder braised in red fermented bean curd until rich and savoury — superb over rice, gently strengthening the spleen and boosting qi.
- 1 hr
- Serves 2
- Braise
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-deficient people tire easily and have middling appetites, and Chushu's 'autumn fatigue' hits them hardest — yet heavy tonics can sit badly. Cooked lotus root turns from cool to warm, strengthening the spleen, stirring the appetite and nourishing blood; pork shoulder replenishes qi; and fermented bean curd adds savoury depth. Braised soft, it's easy to digest.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 45 min- 1Peel the lotus root and cut into chunks with angled rolling cuts. Cut the pork into large pieces, blanch for 2 minutes and rinse. Mash the bean curd with the Shaoxing wine and a little water.
- 2Heat the oil and fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant. Brown the pork over a medium heat, then stir in the bean curd sauce.
- 3Add the lotus root, sugar and water, bring to the boil, cover and braise over a low heat for 35 minutes, turning once, until the lotus root is soft and floury and the pork tender.
- 4Uncover and boil hard to reduce the sauce until thick. Scatter with spring onion and spoon over hot rice with the sauce.
Cautions
- Fermented bean curd is very salty, so add no salt or soy sauce, and cut back if you have high blood pressure or kidney problems. Lotus root is starchy, so eat a little less rice if you're watching your blood sugar.
Chef's tips
- For braising, pick the starchy seven-holed lotus root for a soft, floury bite; drop the cut pieces straight into water so they don't darken.
The TCM view
Raw lotus root is sweet and cold, clearing heat, but cooked it becomes sweet and warm, strengthening the spleen, stirring the appetite and nourishing blood — the Bencao Gangmu notes that 'steamed or boiled, it greatly opens the appetite'. Pork is sweet, salty and neutral, tonifying the kidneys, nourishing blood and moistening dryness; fermented bean curd is sweet and neutral and harmonises the middle; ginger and Shaoxing wine warm the middle.
