TCM Bean Congee Recipe

This is a great overall qi tonifying, damp reducing recipe for those who want to lower blood sugar, reduce cholesterol and improve circulation. It is especially beneficial for those who experience joint swelling, water retention, slow metabolism, poor digestion, constipation and/or bloating. This is a food recipe and not a medical treatment. Please speak with your medical team and regular acupuncturist about your unique medical diagnosis.

Ingredients

job’s tears (pearl barley) - 4 tablespoons

adzuki beans - 4 tablespoons

mung beans - 4 table spoons

black soy beans - 4 tablespoons

oatmeal -1 cup (can substitute with any kind of rice but might have to adjust water amount)

2-3 cups of water - can add more if you prefer less dense texture

1-1.5 cup of milk of choice

sugar or sweetener to taste

Directions:

Rinse job’s tears, adzuki beans, mung beans and black soy beans. If you are using rice, rinse your rise as well!

Cover beans with water and soak for 10-12 hours or overnight.

Drain water

Put all beans + 2-2.5 cups of water into a stainless steel or ceramic pot

Bring to boil and then turn to low, cook for 30-60 min until beans are softened

(Instantpot cook 20 min on high pressure, with 10 min release)

Once beans are softened, add more water and/or milk of choice - more liquid for thinner texture, less liquid if you like thicker texture.

Add 1 cup of oatmeal or rice, optional sweetener and stir until oats are cooked down (saute mode for instant pot)

Optional add ins: goji berries, dates, chia seeds, black sesame seeds and/or flax seeds

Properties of the herbs

Yi yi ren Job’s Tears or Pearl Barley, Coicis Semen. Goes to the Lung, Spleen, Stomach and Kidney channels. Facilitates the resolution of dampness and strengthens the Spleen for those with bloating, diarrhea, edema. Can resolve dampness with painful obstructions like joint pain that comes with swelling and spasms. Clears heat and and expels pus for those with swellings or abcesses in the lungs or intesteines. Clears heat for any damp-heat conditions causing a digestive problem.

Chi xiao dou, Adzuki beans, Phaseoli Semen. Goes to the Heart and Small Intestine channels. Reduces edema and promotes urination for abdominal swelling and fullness. Reduces damp heat. Disperses blood stasis that causes swelling and heat that causes toxic sores and swellings.

Lu dou, Mung bean, Phaseoli radiati Semen. Goes to the Heart and Stomach channels. Clears summerheat marked by irritability and fever, especially with extreme thirst. Clears heat and resolves toxicity for hot sores and swellings.

Dan dou chi, Soybean, Sojae Semen. Goes to the Lung and Stomach channels. Releases the exterior for wind heat or wind cold at early stages. Treats irritability that comes with restlessness, stifling sensation in the chest and insomnia following fever conditions. Can treat exterior wind and heat as well as heat from internal conditions like mild yin deficiency.

You can order Chinese Herbs from Po Wing Hong or Kamwo

You might also be interested in reading: NAFLD and Acupuncture,Lower Cholesterol with Chinese Medicine, Benefits of Hawthorn Berry

Use the code ‘BLOG’ to receive $25 off an Initial Acupuncture visit

Sources:

Bensky, D., Clavey, S., Stoger, E. (2004) Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica Third Edition, Eastland Press pp 63, 194, 275, 308.