Stir-Fried Shrimp With Spicy Greens

By Martha Rose Shulman

Stir-Fried Shrimp With Spicy Greens
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(176)
Comments
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Whenever I use a red-tinged vegetable like amaranth in a dish I know the vegetable is bringing with it lots of antioxidant-rich anthocyanins, a flavonoid found in dark red and blue pigments. Use beet greens if you can’t find amaranth; they will bring with them the same red pigments, which make for a richly colored sauce. For a beautiful meal, serve the stir-fry with red rice, like Bhutanese rice.

Featured in: Summer Stir-Fries

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4
  • ½cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1tablespoon soy sauce (more to taste)
  • 2tablespoons Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
  • ½teaspoon sugar
  • 1teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2tablespoons minced ginger
  • 1tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1jalapeño or serrano chiles, minced
  • ¾ to 1pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • Salt to taste
  • 2tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil
  • 1large red bell pepper, cut in 2-inch julienne
  • 1generous bunch amaranth (about ¾ pound), stemmed and washed, or 1 generous bunch beet greens, stemmed, washed and roughly chopped (about 8 cups greens)
  • 1bunch scallions, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise and cut in 1-inch lengths
  • ½cup chopped cilantro
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

193 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 589 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

    Combine the broth, 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the rice wine or sherry and sugar in a small bowl. Combine the garlic, 1 tablespoon of the ginger, and the minced chiles in another bowl. Have all of your ingredients within reach of your wok or pan.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium bowl combine the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine or sherry, and 1 tablespoon of the ginger. Stir together well. Lightly salt the shrimp and toss with the cornstarch mixture until coated.

  3. Step 3

    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 in the oil by pouring it on the sides of the pan and swirling the pan. Add the garlic, ginger and chiles and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add the red pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the shrimp with any liquid in the bowl and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until pink and opaque. Add the amaranth (or beet greens) and scallions, stir-fry for about 30 seconds, add the broth mixture and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until the greens have wilted. Add the cilantro and stir-fry for another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and serve with rice or noodles, red rice being my first choice.

Tip
  • Advanced preparation: This is all last-minute, though you can prep your ingredients well in advance and refrigerate.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
176 user ratings
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Comments

Regina

Very good. I used spinach as I didn't have amaranth or beet greens and wasn't going shopping. I also used some of an habanero instead of the jalapeno. I will definitely make this again!

Hope

This was very good. Authentic flavor. Though too mild on the heat for my taste buds. For a spicier punch will add some chili garlic sauce next time. I don’t have a wok right now but a large skillet worked fine. Note to self: get a new wok. We used Swiss chard for the green and it was very good. I think green beans would work, too. I agree with the other commenter to mix the cornstarch with the broth. Good tip. Do be sure to prep everything in advance, this dish cooks very fast.

Slightly Inept But Well-Meaning Cook

Delicious. But where in blazes does one get amaranth? (Even Whole Foods was at a loss.) I used the beet greens, and they were very good. (I wonder if this would work with bok choy, too?) I took to heart the recipe's advice to prep everything before--and was very glad I did. The cooking itself happens in a flash.

Barbara

Excellent with a giant bunch of red chard (Included chopped stems sautéed w the onions) plus a small bunch of kale. Used Better Than Bouillon Lobster base for broth.

Barbara

Excellent! I followed comments and doubled the sauce. I used 1 lb TJs frozen red shrimp, a hefty bunch of red chard (8 cups chopped) and a medium bunch kale (4 cups chopped) . I chopped the chard stems and sautéed them first for 1-2 min, then added the aromatics and proceeded w recipe. NO problem having cornstarch in the shrimp marinade. I only had enough fresh ginger to add to broth, so used powdered ginger for shrimp , and it came out great. I used Better than Bouillon Lobster Base for broth, which really adds flavor to any seafood recipe. I cooked 10 oz slender ramen separately, then added to the wok at end. Served in shallow bowls, as it was a bit brothy. Sri Racha at table for those who enjoy heat.

Wendy

I had amaranth greens as part of my csa box for the second week in a row. The first week we wilted it with garlic like we would spinach, and it was just ok. In this dish it was great! I know what to do with amaranth greens now! Also, I used one jalepeno and two shishitos (because they were in my box) very thinly sliced in rounds, seeds and all. Very nice heat with well-rounded flavor.

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