Hairy gourd & Chinese yam steamed pork patty with brown rice
A tender pork and Chinese yam patty steamed on hairy gourd that soaks up the juices, with brown rice — simple, mild and lunchbox-friendly.
- 1 hr 20 min
- Serves 2
- Steam
- Easy
Why it suits you: Sensitive types do best with simple, gentle food. Hairy gourd, Chinese yam, carrot and pork are all low-allergen, and steaming keeps it light and mild — clearing early-summer heat while strengthening digestion and the lungs.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 60 min- 1Rinse the brown and white rice, soak for 1 hour, add water to the line and cook on the rice cooker's brown rice setting.
- 2Scrape the skin off the hairy gourd, cut into 1 cm slices and lay them over the base of a deep plate.
- 3Wearing gloves, peel the yam, then finely dice it with the carrot. Mix with the pork, soy sauce, cornflour and 2 tbsp water, stirring one way until sticky.
- 4Press the meat into a flat patty over the gourd and scatter with the ginger. Steam over boiling water on high for 12–15 minutes, until cooked through with no pink juices.
- 5Pack the patty, gourd and juices with the rice. Next day, microwave for 2–3 minutes until piping hot.
Cautions
- Soy sauce contains soy and wheat; if you react to either, season with a little salt instead.
Chef's tips
- Stir the meat until sticky before pressing it out, so the patty is springy and holds together.
- Choose small hairy gourds with fine fuzz on the skin — a sign they are young and fresh.
The TCM view
Hairy gourd is sweet and neutral and clears summer heat and excess water without draining strength; Chinese yam is sweet and neutral and supports the spleen and lungs; carrot is sweet and neutral and settles digestion; pork is sweet, salty and neutral and moistens; brown rice nourishes the stomach. Mild and balanced, with nothing spicy and no known trigger foods.
