Start of Summer · Lunch · Yin Deficiency
Luffa & tofu with silky egg over rice
Sweet luffa and soft tofu simmered with egg ribbons into a moist sauce for rice — ready at home in half an hour.
- 40 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
CoolingNourishes yinClears heat, eases thirst
Why it suits you: Yin Deficiency already brings a dry mouth and warm palms, and Start of Summer heat drains body fluids further. Luffa, tofu and egg moisten and nourish yin, and simmering rather than frying keeps the meal cooling and gentle on the stomach.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 30 min- 1Start the rice in the rice cooker. Peel the ridges and some of the tough skin off the luffa and roll-cut it into chunks. Dice the tofu and beat the eggs.
- 2Bring the stock and ginger to the boil, add the luffa and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes until translucent.
- 3Gently add the tofu and cook for 2 more minutes, then season with salt. Mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp water and stir it in until lightly thickened.
- 4Turn the heat to low, pour the egg slowly around the edge, wait 10 seconds, then gently push into ribbons. Add the goji berries, cook for 1 minute and finish with sesame oil.
- 5Ladle everything over hot rice and eat straight away.
Cautions
- Leave out the goji berries during a cold, fever or diarrhoea.
Chef's tips
- Leave a little green skin on the luffa so it keeps its shape and colour.
- Turn the heat down before adding the egg so the ribbons stay silky, not rubbery.
The TCM view
Luffa is sweet and cool, clears heat and phlegm and cools the blood; tofu is sweet and cool and moistens dryness; egg is sweet and neutral and nourishes yin and blood; goji is sweet and neutral and supports the liver and kidneys. Ginger protects the stomach, so the dish clears deficient heat without chilling — protecting Heart yin in early summer.
