This straightforward spinach and egg stir fry is a kind of quiet, on a regular basis dishes that by no means makes a grand entrance, nevertheless it’s the sort of meals I grew up consuming and preserve coming again to. In a Chinese language house kitchen, dishes like this aren’t “recipes” a lot as habits. It’s fairly frequent for us to cook dinner numerous sorts of greens with eggs, making a quick but nourishing aspect dish inside minutes. For instance, tomato and egg stir fry, bitter melon and egg stir fry, and garlic scape and egg stir fry all belong to this style. No sauce, no sophisticated seasoning. Simply good elements handled with care and cooked shortly over excessive warmth.
In a typical Chinese language dinner, this dish often sits subsequent to a braised meat dish or a wealthy stir fry, providing one thing gentle and clear to steadiness out the meal. That is true homestyle Chinese language cooking: sensible, seasonal, and meant to be eaten sizzling, proper after it leaves the wok.
Elements
Spinach and egg stir fry makes use of 5 easy elements that you would be able to simply discover in your pantry. The eggs add richness and protein, whereas the spinach brings freshness and a mild sweetness as soon as wilted. Garlic is used sparingly, simply sufficient to present perfume to the oil with out overpowering the greens. When finished proper, the dish tastes contemporary and savory, not watery or overcooked.
- Spinach: I used bunched spinach on this recipe, however you should use child spinach as nicely. See the observe under if utilizing very mature bunched spinach (the sort you often get from Chinese language markets).
- Eggs: I all the time use free vary eggs for the perfect outcome, since this dish doesn’t use heavy seasonings and also you need the elements themselves to shine.
- Oil: Any impartial oil that has a excessive smoking level will work.
- Garlic: Contemporary garlic is essential.
- Salt: My mother additionally likes so as to add a little bit of hen bouillon powder to spice up the flavour of this dish. However I feel salt alone supplies an incredible outcome.
How one can put together very mature spinach?
This recipe is appropriate for small bunched spinach and child spinach. If you are going to buy very giant heads of very mature spinach (over 12” / 30-cm lengthy) from the Chinese language market, you must blanch the spinach earlier than stir frying it. As spinach matures, it accumulates extra oxalic acid, the compound accountable for the sharp, metallic, or mouth-drying style. To attenuate the disagreeable style, boil a giant pot of water and blanch the spinach for 30 seconds to 1 minute, till tender, then drain and squeeze out the surplus water. Then reduce the spinach into giant bite-size items earlier than continuing to the stir fry. That is how my mother all the time prepares the dish, since bigger heads of spinach are the default in China.
How one can make
1. Scramble the eggs: I prefer to warmth a beneficiant quantity of oil actually sizzling earlier than including the overwhelmed eggs. Then cook dinner the underside of the eggs till golden, then frivolously scramble them. This manner, the eggs can have crispy edges and be very fluffy inside, creating an incredible texture.
2. Infuse the oil with garlic: You solely have to briefly stir it earlier than including the spinach, for the reason that garlic cooks in a short time.
3. Prepare dinner the spinach: Use excessive warmth to cook dinner the spinach till simply wilted, then sprinkle within the salt and stir till absolutely wilted. It’s quite common for the spinach to launch some liquid throughout cooking, but when finished correctly, your dish gained’t prove watery.
4. Add again the eggs: End up the dish by including again the eggs and stirring all the things collectively. You must style the dish and modify seasoning if wanted. For a extra aromatic dish, you may as well splash a small quantity of toasted sesame oil for nuttiness.
Don’t overcrowd the wok
If you wish to make a bigger amount, you must nonetheless cook dinner 1 bunch of spinach at a time. In the event you overcrowd the wok, the wok temperature will drop too quick and the spinach won’t be seared correctly. The spinach will find yourself releasing a whole lot of liquid and gained’t have the great smoky taste of wok hei.
How one can Serve
This spinach and egg stir fry is often served as a aspect dish alongside rice and a few different plates. For instance, serve it with foremost dishes similar to Braised Hen with Mushroom, Pork Stuffed Tofu, or Lion’s Head Meatballs. It’s additionally good by itself for a fast lunch or a light-weight dinner, particularly once you need one thing heat and nourishing with out a lot effort.
Ceaselessly requested questions
Ought to I take away the spinach stems?
For younger spinach, the stems are tender and don’t have to be eliminated. If the stems are thick and fibrous, you in all probability have very mature spinach and you must blanch it earlier than stir frying. To realize the perfect texture, you’ll be able to blench the spinach stem slightly longer earlier than blanching the leaves.
Why are the eggs cooked individually first?
Cooking the eggs individually generates the perfect texture. By taking them out, it ensures the spinach will probably be seared correctly with out overcooking the eggs.
Can I add soy sauce or different seasonings?
Historically, this dish is seasoned very frivolously with simply salt and typically a pinch of hen bouillon powder. Soy sauce can overpower the spinach and da
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My mother’s spinach and egg stir fry recipe solely makes use of 5 elements and quarter-hour to whip up a hearty dish that pairs nicely with a bowl of rice. It’s a fast aspect dish however tastes as satisfying as a foremost.
Forestall your display from going darkish
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Warmth 1/2 tablespoon oil in a wok till smoking. Add the eggs. Calmly scramble the eggs and switch to a plate.
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Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and garlic. Stir and cook dinner for just a few seconds to launch perfume.
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Add the spinach, stir to coat nicely with oil, till barely wilted. Sprinkle the salt over the spinach. Stir and cook dinner to combine nicely, 20 to 30 seconds, till the spinach is absolutely wilted. Add again the eggs. Hold cooking and stirring till the spinach is tender. Instantly switch to a big plate and serve sizzling as a aspect dish.
Ingredient Substitution Information
Serving: 1serving, Energy: 117kcal, Carbohydrates: 1.8g, Protein: 5.2g, Fats: 10.3g, Saturated Fats: 2.4g, Ldl cholesterol: 124mg, Sodium: 267mg, Potassium: 235mg, Fiber: 0.8g, Sugar: 0.4g, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 2mg
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