This salad is far easier to make than it sounds and tastier than it looks!

I happened to try it at a vegetarian Japanese restaurant in Singapore and was quite intrigued with the flavours of it. When I tried it, I murmured meekly to my husband that we could try making this at home, while still trying to figure out the hidden ingredients (apart from the big bunch of kailan, which was obvious). My husband became a big fan of this salad when he bought some kailan to mimic the same salad at home, which made me try my hands at making it.

The idea of experimenting with the ingredients to match the original flavours was fun and gave me a feel-good factor: a kind of elevation!

Looking at its nutritional aspect, it’s very similar to broccoli and, hence, also known as Chinese broccoli. Its high calcium and folate content make it a go-to vegetable for pregnancy and lactation. It can be also a choice of vegetable for those who are on a lactose-free diet and need to fulfil their calcium dose.

So here is my version of the recipe! I hope you like it as much as we do. It has become a part of our family meals and I loved it even more when my son started asking for it.

Ingredients

• A small bunch of kailan leaves (you can also use spinach leaves)

• 2 tsp. sesame oil

• 1 tsp. tahini/sesame paste

• 2 tsp. tamari soy sauce

• 1 tbsp. roasted peanuts

Instructions

1. Wash kailan and remove the hard part of the stem from the bottom of the leaves. Remove the yellow flowers, if any. Remember, the stems are to be consumed.
2. In a small bowl, prepare the dressing with the tahini paste, 1 tsp.of sesame oil, tamari sauce and mix well. Keep it aside.
3. In a wok or pan on medium flame, add 1 tsp. of sesame oil and let it heat for a few seconds. Add the roasted peanuts and fry for a few seconds.
4. Throw in the full kailan leaves and stir-fry gently in the hot oil for a minute. Drizzle the dressing over the leaves in the pan and mix it crudely for a few seconds.
5. Remove the salad from the heat and empty into a salad dish.
6. Cover it with cling film and refrigerate for 15 minutes or so. Serve and relish right away once you are ready for supper.

Let us know if you tried and liked the recipe. Happy yummy and guilt-free eating!

_{This post was first published on Poshan blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.}

_{Edited by Nedda Chaplin
Image credit: portrait of healthy japanese cuisine goma ae in a green bowl from Shutterstock}

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