Steamed chicken thigh with shiitake & pumpkin on rice
Chicken thigh, shiitake and pumpkin steamed together on one plate — sweet, tender and low-allergen, ready in 20 minutes or packed as a lunchbox.
- 35 min
- Serves 2
- Steam
- Easy
Why it suits you: Sensitive types react easily and often have delicate digestion, so gentle, low-allergen food suits best. Chicken builds qi, pumpkin strengthens the spleen and shiitake supports resistance — all everyday low-allergen foods. When the Frost's Descent change of season sets off sniffles, steaming with little oil protects digestion.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min- 1Halve the soaked shiitake. Toss the chicken with the soy sauce, cornflour, ginger and oil and leave for 10 minutes.
- 2Lay the pumpkin, skin on, on a plate and top with the chicken, shiitake and red dates.
- 3Steam over high heat for 18–20 minutes once the water boils, until the chicken is cooked through and the pumpkin is soft.
- 4Scatter over the spring onion and spoon the juices over the rice. For lunchboxes, steam it the night before and reheat until piping hot.
Chef's tips
- Pumpkin keeps its shape when steamed with the skin on; pat the chicken dry before marinating for a silkier result.
The TCM view
Chicken is sweet and warm and builds qi; pumpkin is sweet and warm and strengthens the middle; shiitake is sweet and neutral, building spleen qi and supporting the body's defences; red dates warm the middle. Sweet, warm and gentle, it supports spleen and lung qi and defensive qi — simple and low-allergen.
