Autumn Equinox · Lunch · Blood Stasis
Wood-ear, sweetcorn & diced chicken on rice
Diced chicken with crunchy wood-ear fungus, sweetcorn and onion, finished with black vinegar — a warming lunchbox.
- 27 min
- Serves 2
- Braise
- Easy
WarmingMoves bloodWarms & builds qi
Why it suits you: Blood Stasis means sluggish circulation and cold hands and feet. Wood-ear moves blood, while onion, ginger and black vinegar warm and free the flow; with sweetcorn and chicken it makes a light but warming Autumn Equinox lunch.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 12 min- 1Soak the wood-ear for 20 minutes and tear into small pieces. Marinate the chicken with the soy sauce and cornflour for 10 minutes.
- 2Heat the wok with oil, fry the ginger and onion until fragrant, then stir-fry the chicken until it turns white.
- 3Add the wood-ear, sweetcorn and 100 ml water and simmer for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, then splash in the black vinegar, toss and serve over rice.
- 4For a lunchbox, cook it the night before and microwave for 2–3 minutes.
Cautions
- Wood-ear mildly thins the blood, so check with your doctor if you take blood thinners.
Chef's tips
- Wood-ear swells a lot when soaked; 10 g dried is plenty for two.
The TCM view
Wood-ear is sweet and neutral, moving blood and moistening; sweetcorn is sweet and neutral and supports digestion; chicken is sweet and warm and builds qi; onion is pungent and warm and black vinegar sour and warm, both dispersing stasis. Warming and freeing without drying.
