The Subsim Vegetarian Thread

[Skybird]

CHINESE FRIED SPINACH

Many people do not like spinach. But chances are that they will like it if prepared this way (telling by experience). It's one of my favourite recipes - since 25 years. Occassionaly I kill for it.

Prepare a hugh quantity if it should be the full meal, smaller quantity if it is just part of something bigger. Serve on unsalted Basmati rice.

Use froozen spinach, it is easier to handle than fresh one, and does not make a difference.

Use a Wok or an iron pan (uncoated), heat it up to the maximum you stove can handle. KEEP IT there during all cooking.


400 gr froozen spinach (full leaves, non-cut!), thawed out
2 onions, cut up
2 cloves of garlic, thin sliced and small cut, or smashed
3-4 slices of fresh ginger, or 1/2 - 1 teaspoons of ginger powder
4-6 table spoons of oil
2 table spoons of Chinese dark soya sauce (no Japanese or Indonesian!)
4-6 table spoons chicken broth
1-2 table spoons Sherry, medium dry

Put oil into the heated pan or Wok. Add ginger, garlic and onions. Constantly stir, else...! Once onions start to show brown edges after 2 minutes, add spinach. CONSTANTLY STIR!!! 2 Minutes (precise timing!). Add soya sauce, chicken broth, stir another 1 - 1.5 minutes. Add Sherry, stir 30 seconds, immediately serve/eat with rice. When taking it out of the pan, there should not be much loose liquid left (else you took too much sauce or too little spinach, or the pan was not hot enough).

The process is quick, like often is the case with Chinese cuisine, but it is important to keep the heat up and to constantly stir, else the mass burns into the iron immediately. The spinach should not become dry and black, but covered with oil and the green should have become of a clearly darker colour. Take the time precisely, do not do it longer, else it becomes greasy. In case of doubt or the spinach turning dark earlier, skip the rest of the time, but not much. From the moment you put the onions into the pan, the whole cooking process until you serve it should not last longer than 4.5-5 minutes maximum. Beside that, it is very easy and quick to prepare.

Watch out for the soya sauce. Japanese, Chinese and Indonesian are all very different in taste. For dedicated recipes demanding it, Chinese is best (but only if hesating it up very much, cold I do not like it), for all other purposes, I prefer Indonesian, which I consume in large quantities. For Japanese soya sauce - well, I do not like it neither hot nor cold. And no, I also do not like Sushi.