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Home-Style Dishes

Braised Lamb and Fried Tofu Stick Claypot

traditionally associated with warming the spleen and stomach, nourishing yang, and supporting those who feel cold easily

In short: Braised Lamb and Fried Tofu Stick Claypot is a home-style dishe that traditionally associated with warming the spleen and stomach, nourishing yang, and supporting those who feel cold easily. It is most often made for respiratory & lung wellness, digestive wellness, everyday balance. Total time about 125 min. Key ingredients: water chestnuts, winter bamboo shoot, ginger.

By · Published under our editorial policy · Research library

Prep
20 min
Cook
105 min
Total
125 min
Makes
3–4 servings
Respiratory & Lung WellnessDigestive WellnessEveryday Balance
Braised Lamb and Fried Tofu Stick Claypot

Why people make this hotpot

When the temperature drops, Nourilo reaches for lamb. In Chinese food therapy, lamb is considered one of the most warming foods available — it is traditionally used to fortify the spleen and stomach, support kidney yang (the body’s inner warmth), and benefit those who feel the cold acutely, have a weak digestion, or suffer from lower back discomfort in cold weather. This claypot version pairs the lamb with fried tofu sticks (fu zhu) that have been soaked until silky soft, water chestnuts to help cut the gamey flavor, and winter bamboo shoot for texture. Everything comes together in a claypot on the table, bubbling hot.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Garlic · Randomized controlled trial, 120 participants · 2016
    Gamma-delta T and NK cells proliferated better and were more activated than with placebo. The number of illnesses did not differ significantly, but cold and flu severity and missed days were lower.Limitation: Cold and flu outcomes were self-reported in daily diaries, and the dose was a concentrated extract that is not comparable to dietary garlic.PubMed 26764332 · 2 more garlic studies
  • Ginger · Meta-analysis, 23 studies · 2022
    Overall, acute and delayed nausea and vomiting did not differ significantly between ginger and control groups. A subgroup taking 1 g/day or less for over four days had less acute vomiting (OR 0.30).Limitation: Clinical heterogeneity between trials required subgroup analyses, and the authors state that sufficiently large, high-quality RCTs are still needed.PubMed 36501010 · 3 more ginger studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Rice wine / alcohol: This recipe contains alcohol. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, the NHS recommends not drinking alcohol; leave it out or choose another recipe. Source: NHS — Alcohol in pregnancy

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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