Stir-fried amaranth with garlic (Da suan chao han cai)

Chao hancai is a traditional dish originating from Sichuan. The dish is usually made with a combination of amaranth leaves, garlic, oil, salt, and sesame oil. The garlic is peeled, sliced, and stir-fried in oil in a wok. Before it becomes golden, amaranth leaves are added to the wok and stir-fried with garlic until the stems are tender and the leaves wilted.

The wok shouldn't be too dry – if it gets dry, a bit of stock is added so that the final dish rests in a small pool of liquid from the leaves. Once stir-fried, chao hancai is seasoned with salt and served hot. Traditionally, the people of Sichuan eat amaranth during the Dragon Boat Festival, along with zongzi and salted duck eggs.