Chinese yam pork balls with napa cabbage in a claypot
Soft pork balls bound with grated Chinese yam instead of egg, simmered with sweet napa cabbage — gentle and low-allergen.
- 45 min
- Serves 3
- Boil
- Easy
Why it suits you: Sensitive types react easily, and sniffles flare up as Start of Spring swings between warm and cold. This pot skips egg, soy sauce and seafood; yam and red dates strengthen digestion and the lungs, napa cabbage is sweet and gentle on the stomach, and the seasoning stays mild.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 25 min- 1Wearing gloves, peel the yam and grate it finely. Mix the pork with the grated yam, cornflour and a pinch of salt, stirring in one direction until sticky.
- 2Cut the napa cabbage into large pieces, keeping stems and leaves separate. Peel and slice the carrot.
- 3Bring the water, ginger, red dates and carrot to the boil in a claypot, add the cabbage stems and cook for 5 minutes.
- 4With wet hands, squeeze the mixture into ping-pong-ball-sized meatballs and drop them in one by one. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes until they float and are cooked through.
- 5Add the cabbage leaves and cook for 3 more minutes, season lightly with salt and serve with brown rice.
Cautions
- Fresh yam sap can make skin itch — if your skin is sensitive, always wear gloves to handle it.
Chef's tips
- Make a double batch of meatballs and freeze the uncooked extras; drop them straight into the pot next time.
The TCM view
Chinese yam is sweet and neutral and strengthens the spleen and lungs — strong lung qi keeps the body's defences up; red dates are sweet and warm and build qi; napa cabbage is sweet and neutral and nourishes the stomach; carrot supports digestion; pork is sweet, salty and neutral and moistens; a little ginger suits spring without irritating. Balanced, warm and gentle overall.
