Stir-fried Rice With Amaranth or Red Chard and Thai Basil

Stir-fried Rice With Amaranth or Red Chard and Thai Basil
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
6 to 7 minutes
Rating
4(40)
Comments
Read comments

This is another Thai-influenced dish, spiced with sriracha and featuring the beautiful green vegetable amaranth. Amaranth is a beautiful green with small red and green leaves that grow, bush-like, off medium-thick stems. I get it from Asian vendors at the farmers’ market, where I can also find Thai basil. I cut away the very tough ends but use the more tender parts of the stalks. A good substitute here would be red chard, whose stems can be diced and included in the stir-fry. You could also use beet greens, but I’d omit the stringy stems. I spiced this Thai-influenced stir-fry with sriracha, but that spicy chili sauce is optional.

Featured in: Stir-Fries With a Touch of Thai

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4
  • 4 to 5cups cooked rice (white or brown, medium-grain preferred), either chilled or at room temperature
  • 3eggs
  • 2teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons peanut, canola, rice bran or grape seed oil
  • 2 to 3teaspoons minced garlic (to taste)
  • 2 to 3teaspoons minced fresh ginger (to taste)
  • 1bunch amaranth, thick stem ends cut away, the rest coarsely chopped (about 4 cups), or red chard, leaves torn from stalks, stalks diced
  • cup chopped Thai basil
  • 1bunch scallions, sliced, white and dark green parts separated
  • 1 to 2tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
  • 1tablespoon sriracha sauce (optional)
  • ¼teaspoon ground pepper
  • ½cup chopped cilantro
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

351 calories; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 59 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 720 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Beat one of the eggs in a bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Prepare remaining ingredients and place in separate bowls within arm’s reach of your burner.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Add ¾ easpoon of the oil to the wok or pan and swirl to coat the sides. Make sure that bottom wok or pan is coated with oil and add beaten egg, swirling the pan so that egg forms a thin pancake. Cook 30 seconds to a minute, until set. Using a spatula, turn pancake over and cook for 5 to 10 more seconds, until thoroughly set, then transfer to a plate or cutting board. Season to taste. Allow to cool, then roll up or fold in half and cut into strips or just break up with edge of spatula . Repeat with remaining eggs.

  3. Step 3

    Swirl remaining oil into wok or pan and add garlic and ginger. Stir-fry no more than 10 secods, and add amaranth or chard, and white parts of the scallions. Stir-fry for 2 minutes and add Thai basil; stir together for a few seconds, then add rice. Stir-fry, scooping up the rice with your spatula, then pressing it into the hot wok and scooping it up again, for about 2 minutes. The rice should sear and stick to the sides of the wok. Add soy sauce, sriracha, pepper, green part of the scallions, and eggs and cilantro, stir for about 30 seconds, scraping the rice off the sides of the wok as it sticks. Remove from the heat. Serve hot.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: Cooked rice will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Ratings

4 out of 5
40 user ratings
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Comments

This is one of my favorite weeknight dishes (love amaranth!), however I alter it pretty significantly: 1) I always flake fish into the mixture. I've used leftover salmon, smoked whitefish, and tilapia, which gives a depth of flavor and some extra protein-usually ~0.5-1lb, depending on what I have. 2) The method here for the eggs is too finnicky for me, so I either scramble them in or fry and put on top for a gooey yolk. 3) I increase the siracha and soy sauce a LOT, and often use sambal too.

Wonderful and quick dinner, so long as the rice is pre-prepped. Flexible ingredients: I used half amaranth, half hearty spinach. Didn’t have scallions, so omitted them. Used chili-garlic sauce instead of sriracha, regular basil instead of Thai, Added a bit more tamari at the table. Great way to pack in some greens.

I was attracted to the beauty of amaranth at the farmer’s market this week. Never having used it before, I turned to my trusted NYT Cooking app. Once again, NYT came through. I followed the recipe exactly (other than subbing regular basil for Thai basil). It was easy and delicious. This recipe is a keeper. And I will be eating more amaranth!

This is one of my favorite weeknight dishes (love amaranth!), however I alter it pretty significantly: 1) I always flake fish into the mixture. I've used leftover salmon, smoked whitefish, and tilapia, which gives a depth of flavor and some extra protein-usually ~0.5-1lb, depending on what I have. 2) The method here for the eggs is too finnicky for me, so I either scramble them in or fry and put on top for a gooey yolk. 3) I increase the siracha and soy sauce a LOT, and often use sambal too.

Wonderful and quick dinner, so long as the rice is pre-prepped. Flexible ingredients: I used half amaranth, half hearty spinach. Didn’t have scallions, so omitted them. Used chili-garlic sauce instead of sriracha, regular basil instead of Thai, Added a bit more tamari at the table. Great way to pack in some greens.

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