Stir Fry Spinach with Terasi and Dried Tiny Shrimp

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) belong to the same family (Chenopodiacea) as beets and chard. Spinach origanted in southwestern Asia or Persia as wild plant. It has been cultivated in China and many other areas of Asia for at least 2,000 years. It was used as an important medical plant in many traditional sytems of medicine.

A 1-cup serving spinach has only 41 calories, but it is extremely nutrient-dense. It is an excellent source of Vitamin K, carotenes, vitamin C, folic acid, manganese, iron, and vitamin B2. In addition, spinach is also a good source of vitamins B6, E and B1.

It has been a terrible weather lately, made me lazy to go to Asian stores to buy Kangkung which I used to make for this kind of stir fry. Since I still have a package of frozen whole spinach, I'd better use it. In 2006, I posted a recipe of Stir Fry Spinach with Terasi and Tiny Shrimp, which becomes different's name in Indonesia for the dried one and the fresh one. Ebi is for the dried shrimp and Rebon is for tiny shrimp.


Stir Fry Spinach with Terasi and Dried Tiny Shrimp
[Indonesian] Tumis Bayam Ebi Terasi
Recipe by me

Ingredients:
1 frozen package whole spinach (about 300 gr), thawed as package direction and put into an icy waterbath bowl
1/4 cup dried tiny shrimp (trasi shrimp/Indonesian: ebi)
3 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried shrimp paste (Indonesian: terasi, Malaysian: belachan), roasted
1/2 tsp ground fresh bird chilies*
2 Indonesian bay leaves (salam leaves/Indonesian: daun salam)
salt and sugar as desired
coconut oil
red chilies, angle cut

*I used to buy lots chilies, ground them and keep in the freezer, whenever I need for making nasi goreng or sambal, I have them.

Ground Terasi and Dried Tiny Shrimp

Directions:
1. Heat wok in high heat and add oil, saute shallot, garlic, ground chilli and terasi until fragrant. Add a very small amount of water/broth and tiny shrimp, stir.
2. Add spinach, sugar and salt (if necessary, because terasi is salty), stir fry until 2 minutes. Garnish with red chilies cut and serve with steamed rice.