Fresh Chinese yam and spring onion egg pancakes
Thin, soft pancakes of grated fresh Chinese yam, egg and spring onion — ready in ten minutes, gentle on the stomach and filling on a cold morning.
- 20 min
- Serves 2
- Pan-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-deficient types tire easily and feel the cold, so breakfast should be warm and easy to digest. Fresh Chinese yam strengthens the spleen and supports qi; mixed with egg and flour it makes soft, thin pancakes in ten minutes — warming and filling on an early-winter morning.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 10 min- 1Wearing gloves, peel the fresh yam and grate it finely.
- 2Mix the grated yam with the eggs, flour, water, salt and pepper into a loose batter, then stir in the spring onion.
- 3Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan over low heat, ladle in some batter and spread it thin. Cook for 2–3 minutes a side until golden.
- 4Repeat with the rest of the batter, then cut into wedges and eat hot.
Chef's tips
- The yam's sap can make your hands itch — wear gloves when peeling, or rub a little vinegar on your hands first.
The TCM view
Chinese yam is sweet and neutral, tonifying the spleen, stomach, lungs and kidneys — a gentle tonic for both qi and yin. Egg is sweet and neutral and nourishes blood; wheat flour is sweet and warm and supports the heart and spleen; spring onion is pungent and warm, dispersing cold. Sweet, neutral and slightly warm overall, it builds qi without clogging.
