Fried rice vermicelli with wood ear, onion and pork
Wood ear fungus and onion stir-fried with shredded pork and rice vermicelli in very little oil — blood-moving, light and on the table in ten minutes.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Stir-fry
- Easy
Why it suits you: Muggy, damp Grain Buds weather can leave a Blood-stasis constitution with a stiff neck and shoulders, numb hands and feet and a dull complexion. Wood ear moves blood, onion moves qi and disperses stasis and a little black vinegar helps circulation; fried in very little oil, it fills you up without weighing you down.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 10 min- 1Soak the wood ear for 30 minutes (if soaking overnight, keep it in the fridge), trim the hard stems and shred. Soak the vermicelli in warm water for 10 minutes and drain.
- 2Marinate the pork with a little of the light soy sauce and the cornflour for 10 minutes.
- 3Heat the oil in a wok and fry the onion and pork until the pork changes colour, then add the wood ear and carrot and fry for 1 minute.
- 4Add the vermicelli, both soy sauces and 3 tbsp water and toss with chopsticks to loosen. Splash in the black vinegar, add the spring onion and toss.
Cautions
- Wood ear moves blood, so eat less if you're pregnant, have heavy periods or take blood thinners; never leave soaked wood ear at room temperature overnight — keep it in the fridge.
Chef's tips
- Loosen the noodles with chopsticks rather than pressing with a spatula so they don't clump, and add water a little at a time so they don't go mushy.
The TCM view
Wood ear is sweet and neutral, unblocking the vessels and cooling the blood. Onion is pungent and warm, moving qi, dispersing stasis and settling the stomach. Pork is sweet, salty and neutral and builds strength, carrot strengthens the spleen and nourishes blood, and black vinegar is sour, bitter and warm, dispersing stasis and whetting the appetite. Moves qi and blood without clogging — suited to Blood stasis.
