Thai Stir-Fried Spinach With Garlic and Peanuts

Stir-Fried Spinach with Garlic, Chili & Chopped Peanuts
D.Schmidt for About.com
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 6 mins
Total: 16 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings

This stir-fried spinach is so incredibly easy to make and so good, you'll be amazed. This dish bears a strong Chinese influence but is made distinctly Thai by the use of fish sauce and chile. The key to stir-frying spinach is to use enough of it, as spinach does tend to cook down to 1/10th its size. Baby spinach can be used, but it won't make a large serving—a good bunch of regular sized spinach is ideal. If you live near an Asian market, you can buy Thai spinach, known as Pak Puay Leng, or Chinese spinach which is similar to our own mature spinach. Note that much of the stem can be included in the dish for extra fiber and crunch.

Ingredients

  • 1 large bunch fresh spinach

  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 red chile, sliced, or 1/3 to 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed chile flakes, optional

  • 1/4 cup chicken stock, or vegetable stock

  • 2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce, or vegetarian oyster sauce, or stir-fry sauce

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce, or 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce if vegetarian

  • 1 tablespoon sherry, or cooking sherry

  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1/2 red pepper, sliced thinly, optional

  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup roughly chopped peanuts, or cashews, for topping

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cup, stir together stock,​ oyster sauce, fish sauce, sherry, and brown sugar. Set aside. Rinse spinach and drain.

  3. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl around, then add garlic and chili (if using). Stir-fry 1 minute to release the fragrance.

  4. Add the red pepper (if using) and stir-fry 1 minute. Add the spinach and stir-fry briefly, until the spinach leaves are lightly covered in the oil and garlic/chile (about 30 seconds). Add the stir-fry sauce and stir-fry until spinach has cooked down to a nice dark green (stems should still be on the crisp side), about 2 to 4 minutes.

  5. Remove from heat and taste-test, adding more fish sauce instead of salt. (If too salty or sweet, add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. More chile can be added for increased spiciness.)

  6. To serve, scoop or slide spinach onto a serving plate or bowl. Top with the remaining liquid at the bottom of your wok/pan. Drizzle over the sesame oil and top with chopped nuts.

  7. Serve and enjoy.

Tip

This dish makes a wonderful side to nearly any Thai or Asian entrée and is delicious with steamed rice.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
182 Calories
14g Fat
9g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 182
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 19%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 761mg 33%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 25mg 124%
Calcium 103mg 8%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 601mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)