Stir-fried courgette, tomato and prawns
Half-moons of courgette and tomato wedges stir-fried fast with prawns — tangy, fresh and colourful, an appetite-reviver on the table in ten minutes.
- 23 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Damp-heat types have oily skin, a bitter taste and frequent breakouts, and in Major Heat's steamy weather rich or deep-fried food only fans the fire. Courgette and tomato are juicy, cooling summer vegetables that clear heat, promote urination and quench thirst, while prawns add lean protein. Quickly stir-fried in little oil, it's fresh and light enough to tempt a flagging appetite.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 8 min- 1Devein the prawns, rub with a little salt and cornflour, rinse and pat dry. Marinate with a pinch of salt and ½ tsp cornflour for 10 minutes.
- 2Wash the courgettes, halve them lengthways and slice into half-moons; cut the tomatoes into wedges.
- 3Heat half the oil and stir-fry the prawns until they turn pink and are nearly cooked, then lift out.
- 4Add the remaining oil, fry the garlic until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and cook until juicy. Add the courgette and water and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Return the prawns, season with salt, sugar and soy, toss and serve.
Cautions
- Prawns are a common allergen; swap in sliced chicken breast if seafood disagrees with you, and eat fewer during a gout flare.
Chef's tips
- Leave the courgette skin on and don't slice it too thinly or it turns mushy; cooking the tomato down first gives a naturally tangy sauce without ketchup.
The TCM view
Courgette is sweet and cold, clearing heat, promoting urination and relieving thirst and irritability. Tomato is sweet, sour and slightly cold, generating fluids, aiding digestion and cooling the blood. Prawn is sweet and warm, tonifying the kidneys and boosting qi, its warmth balancing the coolness of the two vegetables. Together they clear heat and drain damp without harming the spleen — a good Major Heat dish for damp-heat.
