Porridge with wild yam and carrot

Saturday is usually a no-cooking day for me but sometimes I do prepare porridge for simple lunch. Happened to have some leftover wild yam and carrots so decided to put them into the porridge.

Wild yam is also known as 淮山(huai shan) in Chinese. To read up on its medical benefits, you can check out this website. http://chinese.herbs.webs-sg.com/articles_30.html

Fresh ones can be found in both supermarket and wet market. The ones sold in supermarket comes from China but I think the ones from the wet market are from Japan. It is recommended to wear gloves when you peel off the skin as it has a slimy mucous film which can cause your hands to itch. I did that initially but as I cook it more often, I chose to process it quickly before washing my hands.

This recipe is friendly for toddlers. My poor husband who was suffering from sore throat gave thumbs up for this soothing porridge! 

Ingredients

Wild yam
Carrot
Minced meat
Spring onions
Rice
Sesame oil
Soya sauce
Pepper

Recipe

1. Marinate the minced meat in sesame oil, soya sauce and pepper.
2. Prepare a pot of water and add in the washed rice. Turn on the fire.
3. In the meanwhile, peel the wild yam and carrots and chop them into small cubes before adding them to the pot.
4. Boil the rice till the desired consistency for your porridge. You can add water if you see it turning too thick.
5. Add the marinated minced meat into the pot. You can put the whole chunk in and mash it up with the ladle like I did. Or you can wet your hands and roll the minced meat into balls before adding if you prefer.
6. When the meat is cooked, try to taste porridge. You can always add in a little more soya sauce or pepper.
7. Turn off the fire and add chopped spring onions for garnish. Serve it hot!