Rain Water · Tea break · Sensitive (Allergic)
Poria & Chinese yam bowl cakes (put chai ko)
Chewy, old-school bowl cakes with poria, Chinese yam and red dates — free of egg, dairy, wheat and nuts, so sensitive tummies can relax.
- 35 min
- Serves 3
- Steam
- Medium
NeutralStrengthens spleen & lungsBuilds defensive qi
Why it suits you: Dust mites and mould thrive in the 'return of the south wind', so allergic noses and eczema flare. These cakes contain no egg, dairy, wheat or nuts, and yam and poria strengthen the spleen and lungs to steady your defences.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min- 1Whisk the rice flour, cornflour, poria and yam powders with 150 ml cold water until there are no lumps.
- 2Bring the remaining 210 ml water to the boil with the slab sugar and chopped dates until the sugar dissolves.
- 3Off the heat, slowly pour the boiling syrup into the batter, stirring all the time, until it turns into a thin, half-cooked paste.
- 4Lightly oil 6 small bowls, fill them 80% full and steam over boiling water on high heat for 20 minutes.
- 5Cool for 10 minutes, run a bamboo skewer around the edge to unmould, and eat warm while chewy.
Cautions
- Rice flour and sugar raise blood sugar quickly — if you are watching it, one cake is enough.
Chef's tips
- Herbal shops will grind poria and yam into powder for you; no small bowls? Use ramekins or egg tart tins.
- They firm up as they cool — re-steam for 3 minutes or microwave for 20 seconds to soften, handy for the office.
The TCM view
Chinese yam is sweet and neutral and supports the spleen, lungs and kidneys; poria is sweet, bland and neutral and drains dampness; red dates are sweet and warm and build qi; rice is sweet and warm and settles the stomach. A strong spleen feeds lung and defensive qi ('earth nourishes metal'); gentle, neutral and low-allergen.
