There are many ways to cook Chinese yam, and different cooking methods retain varying levels of nutrients. Pairing it with different ingredients can also result in different nourishing and health-preserving effects. Below are a few recommended nutritious pairings for Chinese yam for your reference.
Simmering into congee: Paired with red dates. Zhao Yingmin, a senior national nutritionist: The medicinal value of Chinese yam is extremely high. In the "weight-loss meal plans" I create, yam is almost always included. However, I rarely use yam as a vegetable; instead, I mostly use it as a staple food substitute. This is because yam is a type of tuber. Eating it as a staple is not only nutritious but also helps nourish the spleen and stomach, lower blood lipids and blood pressure, and reduce body weight. If used for stir-frying, eating yam and then rice would lead to excessive starchy food intake, causing weight gain. The most recommended is the yam, coix seed, and red date congee, which is known as the "longevity porridge." Soak the coix seeds in advance, peel and dice the yam, and cook them together into a porridge. It is recommended to have this three times a week. You can also add other ingredients, such as black sesame and black rice, to make a convenient paste. Steamed yam is also a common dish. After steaming, you can drizzle it with blueberry sauce, which enhances the effect of nourishing qi and blood while adding the antioxidant and anti-aging benefits of blueberries, making it more popular.
As a dish: Colorful stir-fry. Zhao Ting, from the Nutrition Department of Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital: A few days ago, a friend with diabetes for many years came to me complaining. Despite years of careful control, her blood sugar had been good, but her recent physical exam revealed abnormal kidney function. She always felt fatigued, caught colds easily, and had no appetite. I immediately recommended a "Colorful Chinese Yam" to her. The ingredients are Chinese yam, carrot, peas, corn kernels, and red bell pepper. It's simple to make: dice all the ingredients into pieces the size of peas, blanch them in boiling water for about two minutes, then rinse them in cold water. Next, heat some salad oil, sauté minced green onion and garlic for two to three minutes, add seasonings, and thicken with a starch slurry. This dish is suitable for diabetics and, with its vibrant colors, helps stimulate the appetite. In fact, it is also very suitable for those with a weak spleen and stomach, as it can help gradually restore their digestive function and provide enough energy to help break down and burn accumulated body fat. This way, with sufficient qi and blood and smooth blood circulation, one will look healthier.
In soups: Pairing with burdock root. Lü Chunjian, from the Nutrition Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of the PLA General Hospital: When making soups with Chinese yam, I recommend adding another root vegetable that looks similar to yam: burdock root. In recent years, I've often heard about burdock root on health and wellness programs. It is rich in dietary fiber, carotene, and trace elements zinc and selenium. Long-term consumption can help with bowel regularity, lower blood pressure and blood lipids, and boost the body's resistance. It is especially beneficial in the spring for relieving symptoms of "internal heat" (上火). You can cook it with meat and mushrooms in soups, or simply boil it in water, depending on your dietary habits. However, based on my experience, no matter how you cook it, peeled burdock root must be immediately soaked in water to prevent it from oxidizing and turning dark brown. Also, before cooking, soaking it in a vinegar-water solution for ten minutes can not only remove bitterness but also prevent it from discoloring, resulting in a better taste.