Stir-fried prawns with broccoli and shiitake on rice
Bouncy prawns stir-fried with broccoli and fresh shiitake in a light, glossy sauce — ready in ten minutes, sweet, fresh and never greasy.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-deficient types tire easily, feel the cold and often have a weak appetite. Prawns are sweet and warm and build qi, while broccoli and shiitake strengthen the spleen and settle the stomach. Stir-fried in ten minutes, it's sweet, crisp and not greasy — a lunch that keeps you going through a cool early-winter afternoon.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min- 1Cook the rice. Rub the peeled prawns with a little salt and cornflour, rinse, pat dry and toss with ½ tsp cornflour.
- 2Blanch the broccoli in boiling water with a pinch of salt and a drop of oil for 1 minute, then drain.
- 3Heat the oil in a wok, fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant, add the prawns and stir-fry until they turn pink. Splash in the wine.
- 4Add the shiitake and stir-fry for 1 minute, then the broccoli. Season with salt and sugar, thicken lightly with a little cornflour mixed with water, and serve with the rice.
Cautions
- Skip this if you are allergic to prawns or other shellfish — chicken strips make a good swap.
Chef's tips
- Rubbing the prawns with salt and cornflour, then rinsing, removes slime and any fishy smell and keeps them crisp.
The TCM view
Prawns are sweet and warm, tonifying the kidneys, supporting qi and waking the appetite; broccoli is sweet and neutral, strengthening the spleen and stomach; shiitake is sweet and neutral and supports qi; ginger warms the stomach and a splash of Shaoxing wine adds gentle warmth. Sweet, warm and easy to digest, it tonifies the middle for qi-deficient types.
