Rain Water · Breakfast · Phlegm-Dampness
Ginkgo and bean curd skin congee
A traditional Hong Kong breakfast congee: bean curd skin melts into the base and ginkgo nuts turn tender, light and easy on the stomach.
- 20 min
- Serves 2
- Slow-cook
- Easy
NeutralResolves phlegm-dampStrengthens the spleen
Why it suits you: Phlegm-Dampness means feeling heavy, phlegmy and tired, and the 'return of the south wind' is the dampest time of year. Ginkgo resolves phlegm and bean curd skin is light and oil-free, a traditional congee that does not sit heavy.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 10 min- 1The night before, put the rice, bean curd skin, ginger and water in a rice cooker on the congee setting with a timer.
- 2Shell the ginkgo nuts, boil for 2 minutes to loosen the skins, peel, halve and remove the green germ.
- 3Bring the congee to the boil, add the ginkgo for 10 minutes, then season and add the spring onion.
Cautions
- Ginkgo is mildly toxic: always cook it and remove the germ, and keep to 10 nuts a day for adults, fewer for children.
The TCM view
Ginkgo is sweet, bitter, astringent and neutral, calming the lungs and resolving phlegm-damp. Bean curd skin is sweet, bland and neutral, clearing the lungs and nourishing the stomach; congee settles the middle and ginger warms away phlegm. Light and low in fat, it helps the spleen clear phlegm.
