Stir-Fried Red Amaranth Greens with Garlic (Xian Tsai/Ang Tsai)

camissonia
Oct 14
1 min read

We used to grow red amaranth back home in Taiwan and mom would always make a simple saute of them with a bit of vegetable oil, minced garlic and salt. The pigments from the greens would create a beautiful purple-red sauce that my sister Elaine and I loved to mix with white rice to give it a quasi-psychedelic hue (think jacked-up spinach). Amaranth greens are readily available here in SoCal at many Asian markets (e.g., 99 Ranch Market) and can also be easily grown from seed. This particular home-grown batch came from my co-worker's garden - thank you, Stan the Man!

Note on the sauce:

*If you can't source red amaranth greens, you can substitute with spinach, which has a similar flavor sans the purple-tastic colors

Notes

Separate the amaranth leaves from the main stems; place into a colander, rinse with tap water and shake dry.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat; add the minced garlic and stir fry for 5-10 seconds or until fragrant. Add the amaranth greens and toss to combine.