Since Chinese spinach amaranth, also known as Stir-Fried Pink Amaranth Greens, is becoming increasingly available in grocery stores, we thought we’d highlight it here on the blog today. It’s a beautiful and nutritious green that you should definitely try.
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It can be either green or purplish pink, and has a few different names depending on where you buy it.
Both have a similar taste, but the pink vegetables make a more eye-catching addition to the dinner table. Look for it in an Asian supermarket near you.
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Simply add some garlic, oil, and salt to the cooking process. You can use the same method we do in our stir-fried snow pea leaves recipe or the fermented tofu method we do in our water spinach recipe.
However, like many Asian greens, these greens taste great with just a little salt and garlic. Try to find still young and tender leaves with delicate stems. Vegetables that have bloomed are usually older and harder to eat than those without.
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Ingredients:
- 1 pound of amaranth (washed and rough ends trimmed)
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil
- salt (to taste)
Instructions:
- Bring the wok to a boil. So, pour in the oil and give it a good stir. In a flash, throw in the vegetables and garlic and keep stirring.
- Add the salt, sugar, and sesame oil a minute later and stir until the greens are barely wilted.
- Salt heavily to bring out the greens’ flavor, and sweeten to balance the saltiness. Avoiding MSG altogether should get you to a restaurant standard.
- Form a small mound in the middle of the wok with the vegetables. This gives the sides time to heat up, which improves their flavor. Cover the wok and let the food cook for a minute or two. Take off the lid, give it a quick stir, and then serve!