Cherry & Dennis Recipes
Amaranth with Century Egg and Salted Egg
金銀蛋浸莧菜
Recipe overview
Amaranth with Century Egg and Salted Egg is a common Hong Kong home-style vegetable dish. The amaranth becomes soft and smooth, and the light broth has the aroma of century egg and salted egg, making it very good with rice. This dish does not need much seasoning because salted egg is already salty. New helpers should wash the amaranth thoroughly, cut the century egg and salted egg properly, and avoid cooking too long so the vegetable does not become mushy and the broth does not become too salty.
01
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 500g amaranth amaranth greens
- 1 century egg
- 1 salted egg
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 slices ginger, optional
- 400ml water or stock
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Seasoning
- A little salt, only added after tasting at the end
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional
- A little white pepper, optional
02
Tools
- 1 colander
- 1 chopping board
- 1 kitchen knife
- 1 frying pan or soup pot
- 1 frying pan or soup pot
- 1 spatula or soup ladle
- 1 spatula or soup ladle
- 2 small bowls
- 1 white deep plate or soup bowl
- 1 white deep plate or soup bowl
03
Steps
Step 1
Prepare the Ingredients
Prepare the amaranth, century egg, salted egg, garlic, ginger slices, and water or stock first.
Step 2
Remove Old Leaves
Check the amaranth and remove yellow leaves, damaged leaves, and stems that are too hard.
Step 3
Wash Amaranth
Put the amaranth in a large basin and wash it with clean water 2 to 3 times. Pay attention to sand between the leaves and stems.
Step 4
Drain Amaranth
Put the washed amaranth into a colander and drain off excess water.
Step 5
Cut Century Egg
Peel the century egg, cut it into small pieces, and set it aside in a small bowl.
Step 6
Prepare Salted Egg
Open the salted egg and separate the yolk and white. Cut the yolk into small pieces and keep the white for later.
Step 7
Prepare Garlic and Ginger
Crush or chop the garlic and slice the ginger. These help make the soup base fragrant.
Step 8
Fry Garlic
Turn on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add oil, then fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
Step 9
Add Water or Stock
Pour in about 400ml water or stock and bring it to a boil.
Step 10
Add the Eggs
Add the century egg, salted egg yolk, and salted egg white. Stir gently and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 11
Add Amaranth
Add the amaranth and cook over medium heat until just soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not cook it too long.
Step 12
Taste and Serve
Taste at the end. Add a little salt only if it is not salty enough. Serve the amaranth and broth in a deep plate or soup bowl.
Common mistakes
- The amaranth is not washed well and may have sand.
- Salted egg is already salty, so adding salt too early can make the broth too salty.
- The amaranth is cooked too long and becomes too soft with a dull colour.
- There is too little water, so the vegetable dries out before softening.
- The century egg is chopped too finely and disappears into the broth.
- The heat is too high and the broth may boil over.
Tips
The key point for this dish is not making it too salty. Salted egg already has a salty taste, so always taste at the end before deciding whether to add salt. Wash the amaranth well and cook it only until just soft. When cooking it for your employer's family for the first time, make it lighter in taste first, then ask Ma’am or Sir to taste it.
