Chayote, sweetcorn and pork in light sauce over rice
Crisp, sweet chayote and sweetcorn braised with tender pork in a light, glossy sauce over rice — fresh and clean-tasting, a lunch that tempts even when you are feeling flat.
- 27 min
- Serves 2
- Braise
- Easy
Why it suits you: Great Heat is hot and oppressive, and a Qi-Stagnation constitution easily feels irritable, tight-chested and off its food. Chayote, called Buddha's hand melon in Cantonese, is sweet and neutral, regulating qi and soothing the liver; sweetcorn whets the appetite and lean pork nourishes yin. Braised in a light sauce over rice, it leaves you comfortable rather than bloated.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 12 min- 1Slice the pork and marinate with the soy sauce, 1 tsp cornflour and a splash of water for 10 minutes. Peel, core and slice the chayote.
- 2Heat the oil, fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant, stir-fry the pork until it changes colour, then remove.
- 3Stir-fry the chayote and sweetcorn in the same wok for 2 minutes, add the water and oyster sauce, cover and cook for 3 minutes.
- 4Return the pork, thicken lightly with the remaining cornflour mixed with a little water, and spoon over hot rice.
Chef's tips
- Cut chayote releases a sticky sap, so peel it under running water or wear gloves.
The TCM view
Chayote is sweet and neutral, regulating qi, harmonising the middle and soothing the liver. Sweetcorn is sweet and neutral, strengthening the spleen, stimulating the appetite and promoting urination; lean pork nourishes yin and moistens dryness, and ginger and garlic move qi and settle the stomach. Together they soothe the liver, regulate qi and strengthen digestion, easing chest tightness and poor appetite in muggy weather.
