Spinach with Peanut Sauce

This is great for a dinner side. I love make this dish because it is easy to prepare ahead of the time.  It is very pleasant to eat.

There are two ways make the peanut sauce – the fast and the slow way. The slow way involves grinding  peanuts into a paste with mortar and pestle.  It is better if you use a big mortar because it can overflow if you use the small size. I like to make this way when I have chance cuz it tastes fresh and fantastic!

With the fast way, you simply only need to use the peanut butter. It is better if you use the natural peanut butter, not sweetened. It is already sweet in the natural way.

Peanut Sauce:

Slow way

1/3 cup unsalted shelled peanuts

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 ½ tsp superfine sugar

1 tbsp vegetable stock

1 tbsp mirin

Grind the peanut in a mortar and pestle, continue grinding until it is well crushed and almost a paste (it can still be a bit crunchy if you leave some bits).

Transfer the crushed nuts to a small bowl and stir in the soy, sugar and stock. When it is thoroughly mixed, the sauce will look like runny peanut butter.

Fast way

4 tbsp peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

1 ½ tbsp soy sauce

1 ½ - 2 tbsp mirin

Combine all three in a bowl, mixing until smooth. You can add soy or mirin to increase the flavor if you like.

Cooking the Spinach:

You can either blanche or cook the spinach straight in a stir fry pan or wok.

Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds in the boiling water until the leaves wilted. Or

Put a bit of water in a wok.  Just as you see the water boiling add the spinach, toss until it is wilted about 30 seconds.

Drain and cool under the running water.

Drain again and squeeze out the excess water. Add the peanut sauce to the spinach in a bowl and mix gently but thoroughly.