The Complete Guide to Cooking Chinese Yam: Easy and Delicious Home-Style Recipes

Chinese yam is one of the earliest plants consumed by humans, also known as Huai yam, shanyu, hemp yam, shuyu, and so on. As early as the Tang Dynasty, the poet sage Du Fu wrote the famous line "plenty of shuyu to fill the belly" in his poetry. Its tubers are thick and juicy, sweet and starchy, with a sticky texture, and are extremely rich in nutritional and health-promoting substances. Whether eaten raw or cooked, it is delicious. Let's take a look below at the complete guide to cooking Chinese yam!

Stir-Fried Chinese Yam

[Ingredients] 400 grams Chinese yam, 15 grams each green bell pepper and red bell pepper, 3 grams salt, 2 grams chicken essence.

[Method] ① Peel and wash the Chinese yam, cut diagonally into thin slices; wash the green and red bell peppers separately and slice them. ② Heat oil in a wok to 70% hot, add the Chinese yam slices and stir-fry until cooked, then add the green and red bell pepper slices and stir-fry, season with salt and chicken essence, plate and serve.

Chinese Yam Congee

[Ingredients] 30 grams Chinese yam, 20 grams carrot, 30 grams rice, a little spinach puree, 2 cups water.

[Method] Peel the Chinese yam and carrot, cut into small pieces (about 1 cm square). Add 2 cups of water to the rice and bring to a boil, add the Chinese yam and carrot and bring to a boil together, turn to low heat and cook for about 15 minutes, then add the spinach puree and it's done.

Rose Chinese Yam Puree

[Ingredients] 500 grams Chinese yam, a small handful of rose tea, 2 tablespoons milk powder, 2 tablespoons fine sugar.

[Method] ① Steam the Chinese yam until cooked, put the steamed Chinese yam into a bowl. ② While still hot, add the dried roses and an appropriate amount of milk powder. ③ Add an appropriate amount of fine sugar for seasoning, mash the Chinese yam into a puree, stir well, and shape with a mold.

Chinese Yam, Corn and Pork Rib Soup

[Ingredients] 2 pork ribs, 1 ear sweet corn, half a Chinese yam, appropriate amounts of scallion, ginger, yellow wine and salt.

[Method] ① Chop the pork ribs into small pieces, put cold water in a pot, add the ribs, and after it comes to a boil, rinse the ribs in cold water until clean. Put warm water in a clay pot, place the ribs in the clay pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cut the corn into sections, cut the Chinese yam into irregular chunks, shred the scallion, and slice the ginger. ② After cooking the ribs over medium heat for about 40 minutes, add the corn, Chinese yam, shredded scallion and ginger slices, pour in one spoonful of yellow wine, turn to low heat and continue cooking for 40 minutes, then add salt to taste and turn off the heat.

Stir-Fried Chinese Yam with Lamb

[Ingredients] 200 grams lamb, 1 Chinese yam, 2 stalks Chinese celery, 2 red chili peppers, half a spoonful salt, 3 grams ginger, 5 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon cooking wine, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, half a spoonful dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 segment scallion, appropriate amounts vegetable oil and white pepper powder.

[Method] ① Cut the lamb into slices, cut the Chinese celery into sections, slice the scallion, ginger and garlic, and cut the red chili peppers into rings. ② Peel the Chinese yam and cut into slightly thick slices, blanch in boiling water for 10 seconds, then remove and set aside. ③ Heat oil in a wok, add the lamb slices and stir-fry until just cooked, then immediately remove. ④ Heat oil again in a clean wok, stir-fry the scallion, ginger and garlic until fragrant, add the lamb slices, Chinese celery sections and red chili rings and stir-fry for a moment. ⑤ Then add the cooking wine and Chinese yam, quickly add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt and white pepper powder and stir-fry over high heat until evenly mixed, finally drizzle with sesame oil.

Braised Pork Belly with Chinese Yam

[Ingredients] 200 grams pork belly, 200 grams pork hind leg meat, 300 grams Chinese yam, oil, salt, rock sugar, braising soy sauce, scallion, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, dried chili peppers, cooking wine.

[Method] ① Wash the pork belly and hind leg meat, cut into chunks. Wash and peel the Chinese yam, cut into irregular chunks. ② Fry the Chinese yam in oil until golden brown. Blanch the meat in water, then remove and set aside. ③ Add a small amount of oil to the wok, add the blanched meat and stir-fry. Add the scallion, ginger, star anise, cinnamon and chili peppers, continue stir-frying until fragrant and the meat is slightly yellow. ④ Add rock sugar, turn to low heat, and stir-fry until the sugar caramelizes. Splash in the cooking wine, add the soy sauce and stir-fry evenly. ⑤ Add boiling water to cover the meat, bring to a boil over high heat, turn to low heat and braise for 40 minutes. Add salt and the fried Chinese yam, braise for another 30 minutes, turn to medium heat and cook until the sauce is reduced.

Chinese Yam, Carrot and Pork Rib Soup

[Ingredients] 400 grams pork ribs, 300 grams Chinese yam, 100 grams carrot, appropriate amounts red dates, appropriate amounts ginger, appropriate amounts scallion.

[Method] ① Soak the pork ribs in clean water for 20 minutes to remove the blood, scrape the skin off the Chinese yam and carrot with a small knife. Put cold water in a pot, add the ribs and bring to a boil; be sure to add them to cold water, otherwise the meat's texture will not be good. ② Remove the blanched ribs, cut the carrot and Chinese yam into chunks, smash the ginger, and put the ribs, Chinese yam, carrot, appropriate amount of red dates and the smashed ginger together in a pressure cooker, add water to cover the ingredients. ③ Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes, add an appropriate amount of salt and scallion, and serve.