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Stir Fried Spinach with Garlic
Serves 4 Prep 10 min Cook 2 min Total 12 min Type Side Origin Chinese

Stir Fried Spinach with Garlic

Spinach has often been regarded with disdain in the West, probably because it is often overcooked. This is a time-honoured, delicious southern Chinese recipe. The spinach is quickly stir-fried and then seasoned. It is very simple to prepare and tastes divine.

Serves 4 Prep 10 minutes Cook 2 minutes Units Rate

Overview

Stir-fried spinach with garlic is a classic southern Chinese side dish that showcases how quickly and simply spinach can be cooked to perfection. The leaves are wilted in a hot wok with oil, salt, sugar, and garlic, resulting in a tender, flavoursome dish that is ready in under 10 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 700 grams fresh spinach
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic (finely chopped)

Method

  1. Wash the spinach thoroughly, removing all the stems and leaving just the leaves.
  2. Heat a large wok or pan to a moderate heat and add the oil, salt and spinach.
  3. Stir-fry for 2 minutes to coat the spinach thoroughly with the oil and salt.
  4. When the spinach has wilted to about one-third of its original size, add the sugar and garlic and continue to stir-fry for another 4 minutes.
  5. Transfer the spinach to a plate and pour off any excess liquid.

Notes

  • Remove all the stems before cooking, they take longer to cook than the leaves and result in an uneven texture.
  • Add the garlic and sugar only after the spinach has wilted, not at the start, to prevent the garlic from burning in the hot wok.
  • Pour off the excess liquid before serving so the dish is not watery, spinach releases a significant amount of moisture as it wilts.
  • Use the full 700 grams even though it looks like a large quantity; spinach reduces dramatically to about one-third of its original volume during cooking.

Serving

Serve with: steamed rice or as a side alongside any Chinese-style main course Temperature: hot, served immediately after draining Amount: 4 portions as a side dish

Storage

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
  • Reheat briefly in a hot wok or microwave; pour off any additional liquid that has gathered.
  • Not suitable for freezing as the spinach becomes watery and loses its texture.

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