Quick and easy stir fry of Taiwan Spinach with garlic and sesame oil. Savory, fresh, and flavorful. A great vegetable side dish!
One of my favorite things to do is look at the vegetables and fruits at Asian markets. There are just so many different things.
We cook a lot, and I feel that I have decent knowledge of vegetables but it's thrilling to see the variety that I've yet to learn about.
A newer addition to our vegetable repertoire is Taiwan Spinach!
What Is Taiwan Spinach?
Taiwan spinach is similar to regular spinach, but it is much taller! It is also slightly heartier, especially the stems. The stems are so crisp, juicy, and fresh.
Tastewise, it's similar to regular spinach except a little sweeter.
I find that it is easier to cook than regular spinach because it doesn't wilt and overcook as easily. Taiwan spinach is like a more voluminous version of regular spinach.
The above photo is from H Mart (the Pearl City location). $3.99 a pound is not cheap but not bad for some nice looking spinach! They have the spinach pre-bagged in 1 to 1.5 packages.
I like to wash vegetables as soon as I get home (otherwise I'll never get it done).
I soak the spinach in a bowl of water, then drain. I cut off the roots, then separate the stems and leaves. Then put it in a colander to let dry.
So by the time I'm cooking dinner, everything is ready to go!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- Taiwan spinach - We purchased this at H Mart. You can find Taiwan spinach at many Asian supermarkets.
- Garlic - Feel free to use even more garlic!
- Salt
- Sesame oil - We like to use this brand. I like that they sell bottles in several different sizes and even large tins if you go through a lot of sesame oil (which we definitely do).
Instructions
Let's get cooking!
First, prepare the Taiwan spinach.
Wash the spinach well. Then dry and cut off the roots.
Cut the stems into two. Cut the leaves into two.
Keep the stem and leaves separate (this is because we will cook the stems first as they need slightly longer time to cook).
Cook the garlic.
Heat some oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic to the pan (before the oil is hot) and cook for 30 seconds until the garlic just start to turn golden.
Cook the spinach stems.
Then add the spinach stems and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Cook the spinach leaves.
Once the stems have softened a little, add the spinach leaves and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Season.
Season with the salt and sesame oil. Mix and cook for another 1 minute.
Then turn off the heat, remove to a plate, and serve. Eat and enjoy ^_^
Top Tip
For Step 2 when you cook the garlic in the oil:
Add the garlic to the oil before the oil gets hot.
We grew up thinking that the oil should be hot before adding the garlic. But if you add the garlic when the oil is still cool, there's less a chance of it burning quickly.
FAQ
Use any type of neutral oil. Don't use olive oil (the flavor is too strong and olive oil has a low smoke point so it's not great for stir fry).
My favorite natural oil is avocado oil. It's a little more expensive than other oils but worth it. You can also get large containers of avocado oil from Costco Hawaii, it's a very good deal.
It's best fresh but leftovers will keep in the refirgerator for 1-2 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second increments or in a pan over medium heat.
Try our Garlic and Fish Sauce Ong Choy (aka Chinese water spinach).
Taiwan Spinach Recipe
See below and enjoy!
Taiwan Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 pound Taiwan spinach
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Instructions
- First, prepare the Taiwan spinach. Wash the spinach well, then dry and cut off the roots. Cut the stems into two. Cut the leaves into two. Keep the stem and leaves separate.
- Heat some oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Then add the spinach stems and cook for 1-2 minutes. Once the stems have softened a little, add the spinach leaves and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Season with the salt and sesame oil. Mix and cook for another 1 minute. Then turn off the heat, remove to a plate, and serve. Eat and enjoy ^_^
Mahalo for Reading!