Chinese Yam in Cumin Sauce

Yeah! It is a shame that I discovered   Chinese Yam four years after living in Shanghai. Well, It is better to be late than never.

Edible part of this plant is a “piece of wood stick like” root, which is one of the healthiest vegetables that are native to Asia. Indeed it is not related to sweet potato. Originally called Shan Yao Chinese yam is cinnamon vine. Chinese Yam can be seen in the supermarkets more each day. Nevertheless it can be obtain Chinese stores all the time.

This root is used commonly in Chinese herbal medicine, to treat stomach, lungs, kidney, appetite, dry cough also speed up the healing in healthy tissue.

I heard it served steam cooked as a side dish. I searched about how people eat Chinese yam and found out many recipes
Chinese Yam Cake”. Leaving those recipes for another time, I wanted to try something else based steam cooking.

It turned out really good.

Ingredients:
3 Chinese Yam 20 inches long each
8 green beans (cleaned and cut in 1 inches long)
8 pea pods  (Rinse and snip the end)
1Tbsp grinded ginger
Few stems of Cilantro
3 cloves of Garlic (chopped in big pieces)

Sauce:
1 C water
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbsp. Ketchup
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

Making:
Sauce:
Combine all the sauce ingredients in the saucepan
Bring up to a boiling point and simmer cooking until the liquid Volume goes half way down.
Set a site
Wash the yams very well brushing under running cold water
Peel and divide in 4 inches long
Steam cook for 7-10 minutes.
Set aside


Sauteeing:
Heat the olive oil in wok 

Add green beans, pea pods Stir about 1 minute on high heat.

Add steam-cooked yams and stir-fry all for about 3 minutes.

Add ginger and garlic stir one more minute

Add onion and cilantro stir once

Add the honey sauce

Transfer in to a serving dish

Serve immediately.

As a side dish aside with seafood Or as a main dish.
Enjoy
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