Poria, Job's tears and Chinese yam congee
Dry-fried Job's tears simmered with poria and fresh Chinese yam — clears damp and strengthens the spleen without being too cooling, ideal for humid Grain in Ear mornings.
- 1 hr 10 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Phlegm-damp people often feel heavy and foggy-headed with a thick, greasy tongue coating, and the rain and humidity of Grain in Ear make them even more sluggish. Poria and Job's tears strengthen the spleen and drain damp, yam tonifies without heaviness, and dry-frying takes the chill off the Job's tears. Warm congee helps the spleen move the damp out.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 60 min- 1Soak the Job's tears for 2 hours and rinse the poria and tangerine peel. Wearing gloves, peel and dice the yam and keep it in water so it doesn't discolour.
- 2Bring the water to the boil, add the Job's tears, rice, poria and peel, return to the boil, then simmer half-covered for 40 minutes.
- 3Add the yam and simmer for 15 minutes more until soft and the congee is silky. Season with salt.
Cautions
- Pregnant women should avoid large amounts of Job's tears; eat less if constipated.
Chef's tips
- Herbal shops sell ready dry-fried Job's tears; raw yam's sap makes skin itch, so wear gloves when peeling.
The TCM view
Poria is sweet, bland and neutral, draining damp, strengthening the spleen and calming the mind. Job's tears are sweet, bland and cool, strengthening the spleen and leaching out damp; dry-frying reduces their coldness. Chinese yam is sweet and neutral, tonifying the spleen, lungs and kidneys; tangerine peel moves qi and dries damp. It strengthens the spleen while draining damp, tonifying without clogging.
