Start of Summer · Lunch · Qi Deficiency
Tomato & potato braised chicken with millet rice
Chicken braised in sweet-sour tomato sauce with soft potato, over millet rice — cook it the night before and take it to work.
- 50 min
- Serves 2
- Braise
- Easy
NeutralStrengthens digestion & qiWhets the appetite
Why it suits you: Qi Deficiency means tiring and sweating easily, and Start of Summer heat dulls the appetite further. Sweet-sour tomato wakes up the appetite while chicken and potato gently build qi — soft, easy to digest and just as good reheated.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 35 min- 1Rinse the rice and millet, add the usual amount of water and cook in the rice cooker.
- 2Marinate the chicken with half the soy sauce for 10 minutes. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, peel the potato and cut into small chunks, and slice the onion.
- 3Heat the oil in a wok, fry the ginger and onion until fragrant, then brown the chicken on both sides.
- 4Add the tomatoes and stir until juicy, then the potato, water and remaining soy sauce. Cover and braise over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until a chopstick slides into the potato and the sauce has thickened.
- 5Pack into lunchboxes and refrigerate as soon as cooled. Next day, microwave on high for 2–3 minutes until piping hot.
Chef's tips
- Use fully ripe tomatoes: with the onion they are sweet enough without sugar.
- Skinning the chicken keeps the braise light, which weak digestion handles better.
The TCM view
Chicken is sweet and warm and builds qi; potato is sweet and neutral and strengthens digestion; tomato is sweet, sour and slightly cold and whets the appetite — cooking softens its coldness, and pungent, warm onion and ginger balance it further. Millet settles the stomach and makes the rice easier to digest. Sweet and warm overall: tonifying without overheating.
