Stir-Fry Water Spinach With Chili And Sichuan Pepper

I like Water Spinach (aka Kangkung). I like to cook them with Sambal or just a simple stir-fry with garlic and oyster sauce. I thought since I'm into Sichuan cooking now; why not try the vegetables recipe from my latest collection of cookbooks. I have two actually! The other book is an Indonesian cookbook, which I will feature some of the recipe very soon. So, watch out for it!

Recipe adapted from Sichuan Cookery by Fuchsia Dunlop

Stir-Fry Water Spinach With Chili And Sichuan Pepper

Ingredients

300 g Fresh Water Spinach
A small handful of Sichuanese Dried Chilies
3 Tbsp Peanut Oil
1/2 tsp Whole Sichuan Pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp Sea Salt to taste
1 tsp Sesame Oil

Method

Wash the water spinach thoroughly, discarding any wilted leaves and coarser stalks. Tear or cut into 10cm sections. Snip the chilies in half or into 2 cm sections, discarding the seeds as much as possible.

Heat the oil in a wok until hot but not smoking. Add the chilies and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry for 10 - 20 seconds until the oil smells spicy and the chilies are just beginning to turn a darker red - take care not to burn them. Add in all the spinach and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until the leaves have wilted and the stems are tender and juicy, season with salt. Finally, remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Serve immediately.