Boiled water caltrops with codonopsis & red date tea
Water caltrops, in season around Mid-Autumn, boiled until floury, with a flask of warming codonopsis and red date tea — steady energy for the afternoon.
- 50 min
- Serves 2
- Boil
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi Deficiency means flagging badly by mid-afternoon. Autumn Equinox falls around Mid-Autumn, when cooked water caltrops are in season: sweet and neutral, they strengthen digestion and qi without heating, and a gentle codonopsis and red date tea keeps you going until dinner.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 40 min- 1Scrub the caltrops with a brush to remove any mud, then rinse well.
- 2Cover them with water in a pot, bring to the boil over high heat, then boil over medium heat for 35–40 minutes, until the flesh is chalky white when cut.
- 3Meanwhile, snip the codonopsis into short lengths and split the red dates. Put them in a flask, pour in the boiling water, cover and steep for 30 minutes.
- 4Drain the caltrops and let them cool slightly. Cut each one in half through the middle, scoop out the flesh and enjoy with the warm tea.
Cautions
- Always cook water caltrops through — never eat them raw or crack the shells with your teeth, as they can carry parasites.
- Leave out the codonopsis during a cold or fever; plain red date tea is fine.
Chef's tips
- Caltrops are starchy, so count them as half a portion of carbohydrate — 8–10 per person is plenty; too many leave you bloated.
- Wet markets sell ready-boiled caltrops; just reheat them for 5 minutes.
The TCM view
Cooked water caltrops are sweet and neutral and support the spleen and stomach; codonopsis is sweet and neutral and tonifies qi, the spleen and the lungs; red dates are sweet and warm and nourish qi and blood. All three are sweet tonics, mild and slightly warm — they build qi without drying, so they suit the dry autumn too.
