Stir-fried Chinese Spinach

Having a plate of vegetables on the dinner table makes a home-cooked meal taste both wholesome and healthy. This is one of the vegetable dishes I cooked frequently because my family really love Chinese spinach.

See Also:

Sharp Spinach

For this dish, I use either Chinese sharp (pictured above) or round spinach (determined by the shape of the leaves) because their stems are delightfully soft and tender after cooking. I love this so much that I can have a plate of vegetables all to myself.

Stir-fried Chinese Spinach Recipe

I often added crispy ikan bilis (dried anchovies) as they add an extra savoury kick to this dish. You may skip the ikan bilis if you wish, but you may need to use a bit more soy sauce since the salty ikan bilis naturally seasons the dish.

Stir-fried Spinach with Ikan Bilis

If you already have crispy fried ikan bilis, skip step two and use 1 tbsp cooking oil instead of 3 tbsp. Top the dish with the crispy ikan bilis before serving.

If you are skipping the ikan bilis totally, use 1 tbsp cooking oil instead of 3 tbsp, and add 1/2 tsp light soy sauce to Seasonings (A).

Ingredients:

  • 200g Chinese (round/sharp) spinach
  • 3 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 small handful of ikan bilis (dried anchovies) rinsed and pat dry
  • 4 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
  • 3 slices ginger sliced thinly
  • 1 carrot peeled and sliced thinly
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

Seasonings (A)

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

  1. Separate spinach leaves and stems. Snap the stem into 5 cm length, pulling and discarding the strings as you do so.
  2. Heat oil and add ikan bilis, cooking until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Drain ikan bilis from oil and set aside.
  3. Using the remaining oil in the wok, add garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant.
  4. Add spinach stems and carrot slices. Stir fry for about 2 minutes until just softened.
  5. Add spinach leaves and sauce (A). Stir fry until the leaves are wilted. Then cover with lid and let the contents simmer for 30 seconds.
  6. Drizzle Chinese wine on the sides of the wok, turn off the flame when you smell the aroma of the wine seconds later.
  7. Dish into serving plate and top with the previously fried ikan bilis.

Noob Cook Tip

To prevent oil splatters, dry the vegetables and ikan bilis thoroughly before adding to the hot oil.