Taro, white hyacinth bean & shiitake congee
Floury Mid-Autumn taro simmered into congee with shiitake and white hyacinth beans — light, savoury and gentle on digestion.
- 1 hr 40 min
- Serves 2
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Phlegm-Dampness brings heaviness, phlegm and sluggish digestion, so breakfast should be light, low in fat and modest in size. Taro, in season for Mid-Autumn, strengthens digestion and clears phlegm; with hyacinth beans, shiitake and tangerine peel, the warm congee settles the stomach without weighing you down.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 90 min- 1The night before, soak the shiitake in warm water for 20 minutes, remove the stems and dice. Soak the tangerine peel, scrape off the pith and shred it.
- 2Wearing gloves, peel the taro and cut into 1.5 cm cubes. Rinse the rice and hyacinth beans.
- 3Put everything except the salt and spring onion in the rice cooker and set the porridge timer for the morning — the beans soften while they wait.
- 4In the morning, stir, season with salt, scatter with spring onion and serve hot in small bowls.
Cautions
- Cook taro and hyacinth beans through — raw, they irritate the mouth, throat and stomach.
Chef's tips
- Wear gloves to peel taro, or wash and dry it before peeling, so your hands do not itch.
The TCM view
Taro is sweet, pungent and neutral; it strengthens digestion and clears phlegm. White hyacinth beans are sweet and slightly warm and resolve damp; shiitake is sweet and neutral and supports qi and appetite; aged tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm and moves qi. Mild and balanced, they drain damp without drying, and the congee keeps you moist in dry autumn.
