My friend gave me some more of her home grown Botany Bay spinach and oranges. Since my last few botany bay is cook with polenta and making soup with eggs and baby anchovies. Today, I decided to try stir fry.

Google: “Tetragonia tetragonioides, commonly called New Zealand spinach, Warrigal greens and other local names, Botany Bay spinach is a flowering plant in the fig-marigold family. It is often cultivated as a leafy vegetable. It is a widespread species, native to eastern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Larger leaves should typically be blanched or steamed before eating, but smaller young leaves are great eaten raw. It can be substituted in any recipe that uses spinach, chard or Asian greens – the sturdy, fleshy leaves handle heat well, making warrigal greens ideal for stir-fries. Research has shown it is high in fibre, vitamin C and healthy antioxidants, but also in oxalates. In high concentrations oxalates can cause calcium oxalate to accumulate in your body, which can develop into kidney stones.”

Google: “Sambal is a common condiment in Southeast Asia and India. Sambal is basically a concoction of chilies and spices. Sambal is used in many Southeast Asian and Indian dishes, to add heat and Flavors to local dishes. Sambal can also be made into sambal sauce, which is great on protein such as chicken, fish or shrimp. Sambal Belacan – a Malaysian condiment made with fresh red chilies, lime juice, salt and sugar. Sambal Belacan is the building block of Malaysian cooking.”

As today it’s so cold and strong winds, I crave for chili. I do have a bottle of sambal that I have not open it yet from my mother a year ago. Best use it before it expired. I am having my green vegetables with tom yum fried rice. It’s really is appetising and delicious. You can have it with white rice and a meat dish. Let’s bring out the wok and stir fry!!!

Ingredients

900 g Botany Bay spinach,
1 1/2 Tbs sambal belachan
1 Tbs minced garlic
water
oil
pepper
salt

Method

Blanched Botany Bay spinach in hot boil water for about 1 minute if adding the stems. The leaves blanch it for about 10-15 seconds. Drain and wash with cold water, and drain again. Heat 1 Tbs oil in the wok on medium high heat. Once oil is hot add in minced garlic, cook for 30 seconds.

Next add in Botany Bay spinach, toss around the garlic and oil; if needed more oil add about 1/2 Tbs more. Let it wiltered a bit and then add in sambal belachan. Mix well to coat and if you want some sauce to go with white rice add about 1/8 c water. Bring to simmer about 5-10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, if needed pepper add some pepper. Belachan might be salty. Add salt if necessary. Enjoy with rice and a beer.

https://helenscchin.com/2023/06/25/botany-bay-spinach-with-sambal-belachan-sauce/

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