Chicken congee with hyacinth beans and Chinese yam
Silky congee simmered with hyacinth beans and fresh Chinese yam, finished with tender chicken and ginger — gently warming on a damp, muggy morning.
- 1 hr 15 min
- Serves 3
- Simmer
- Easy
Why it suits you: Grain Buds is wet and muggy, and a Qi-deficient constitution, whose digestion is already weak, loses its appetite and tires easily once the damp sets in. Hyacinth beans strengthen the spleen and resolve damp, Chinese yam boosts qi and chicken warms the middle; as congee it is easy to digest and keeps you going all morning.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 60 min- 1The night before, rinse and soak the hyacinth beans; rinse the rice and toss it with a little oil and salt.
- 2Bring the water to the boil, add the beans and rice, boil hard for 10 minutes, then simmer over medium-low heat for 40 minutes, stirring now and then.
- 3Marinate the chicken with the soy sauce and cornflour for 10 minutes. Peel and dice the yam, wearing gloves to avoid itchy hands.
- 4When the congee is silky, add the yam and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the chicken and ginger and cook for 5 minutes until done. Season with salt and scatter with spring onion.
Cautions
- Always cook hyacinth beans thoroughly, as raw beans contain natural toxins; the sap of fresh yam can make skin itch, so wear gloves when peeling.
Chef's tips
- Soak the beans and wash the rice the night before to save time, or use the congee setting on a rice cooker with a timer.
The TCM view
Hyacinth beans are sweet and slightly warm, strengthening the spleen, resolving damp and harmonising the middle. Chinese yam is sweet and neutral, nourishing the spleen and stomach and supporting the lungs and kidneys. Chicken is sweet and warm, warming the middle and boosting qi; rice settles the stomach and ginger warms it. Nourishes qi without heating while helping clear damp — suited to Qi deficiency.
