Happy Chinese New Year! Just like the West has got astrology, the East has got its own version. This is the first day of the year of the Rat. Let’s get back to food now, shall we? To help you celebrate this day, why not prepare this pork and spinach stir-fry? Chinese take-aways tend to be on the oily side so cooking at home is healthier and more satisfying. It’s quick and yummy, just like traditional Chinese food.
Update: Oh dear, a Hong Kong reader informed me spinach is not a good idea to eat on Chinese New Year. Spinach ("bor choy") also means "busy for nothing" in Cantonese, which is no good for starting off a year, is it? So eat this dish any other day instead!
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📖 Recipe
Pork & Spinach Stir-Fry
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A simple yet flavourful pork and spinach stir-fry combination that celebrates beautiful Asian flavours. Sprinkle with some sesame seeds. Serve on a bed rice in a deep dish. Add lime juice for perfection as well as some fresh chopped chillies.
Ingredients
- 15ml (1 tbsp) white sesame seeds
- 400g (12 ½ oz) spinach
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 8 spring onions (scallions)
- 2.5ml (½ tsp) cayenne pepper
- 400g (12 ½ oz) pork fillet, cut into thick strips
- 30ml (2 tbsp) oil
- 30ml (2 tbsp) sesame oil
- 30ml (2 tbsp) soy sauce
- 20ml (4 tsp) sugar
Instructions
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan gently, until the seeds are golden brown; remove from the pan at once to prevent burning.
- Wash the spinach to remove any grit a chop roughly.
- Combine the garlic, spring onion, cayenne pepper and pork, mixing well. Heat the oils in a heavy-based frying pan and stir-fry the pork quickly in 3 bathes over very high heat until golden. Remove the meat and set aside.
- Add the soy sauce, sugar and spinach, and toss lightly. Cook for 2 minutes or until the spinach is just soft. Return the pork to the pan, add the sesame seeds, toss well and serve immediately.
Notes
- Serve with egg noodles or white rice like jasmine or basmati.
- Four chicken breasts can be used instead of pork.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 296
- Sugar: 7.7 g
- Sodium: 1119 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 24.6 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
Renil M. George
What a beautiful and flavorful dish