Stir-fried prawns with Chinese yam and wood ear, with rice
Prawns stir-fried with crisp fresh Chinese yam, wood ear fungus and red pepper, finished with Shaoxing wine — a quick, crunchy stir-fry over rice.
- 35 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Blood moves slowly for blood-stasis types at Major Cold, bringing cold hands and feet and a dull complexion. Wood ear moves blood and disperses stasis, Chinese yam supports the spleen, prawns warm the yang, and a splash of Shaoxing wine warms and gets the blood moving — a crunchy stir-fry in about 15 minutes.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min- 1Cook the rice. Soak the wood ear until soft and tear into pieces; wearing gloves, peel and slice the yam and keep it in water; cut the pepper into pieces.
- 2Devein the prawns, pat dry and toss with a little salt and the cornflour.
- 3Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the prawns until they change colour; set aside.
- 4Fry the ginger and garlic in the same wok until fragrant, add the yam and wood ear, stir-fry for 2 minutes and splash in a little water.
- 5Return the prawns with the pepper, splash in the Shaoxing wine, season with salt, toss and serve with the rice.
Cautions
- Avoid if allergic to prawns or shellfish; go easy on wood ear with heavy periods or if taking blood-thinning medicine.
Chef's tips
- Keep the cut yam in water so it doesn't darken and pat it dry before cooking; stir-fry over high heat to keep it crisp.
The TCM view
Wood ear is sweet and neutral, cooling and moving the blood and moistening dryness; Chinese yam is sweet and neutral, tonifying the spleen and lungs; prawns are sweet and warm, supporting kidney yang; Shaoxing wine is pungent, sweet and warm, moving blood; ginger and garlic dispel cold. Together they warm the vessels and support the spleen.
