Stir Fry Dandelion Greens with Garlic Recipe » Indonesia Eats

Dandelion or randa tapak in Indonesian is from genus Taraxacum (pron.: /təˈræksəkʉm/) which is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Eurasia and North and South America. Two species of Taraxacum, T. officinale and T. erythrospermum, are found as weeds worldwide and completely edible.

Dandelion has many things that you need to know! (source: incredible smoothies)
1 – High in Calcium: Dandelion greens are loaded with calcium and slightly higher than kale!
2 – Rich in Iron: Next to fresh parsley, dandelion greens have a high iron content.
3 – Low Calories: Like all leafy greens, dandelions are low in calories.
4 – Loaded With Antioxidants: High in vitamin A in the form of antioxidant carotenoid (beta-carotene) and vitamin C. Vitamin C also helps facilitate iron absorption.
5 – The Ultimate Detox & Cleansing Green: To help cleanse the liver and many detox recipes call for them.
6 – Lots Of Minerals: Dandelion greens are rich in minerals. Besides calcium and iron, they are a good source of copper (10% RDA), manganese (8% RDA), phosphorus (5% RDA), potassium (5% RDA) and magnesium (5% RDA).
7 – 14% Protein: Have more protein per serving than spinach. The greens themselves are 14% protein and contain all essential amino acids so it’s a complete protein.
8 – Multivitamin Green: Besides vitamin A as beta-carotene (186% RDA) and vitamin C (21% RDA), each cup of chopped dandelion greens are also good sources of vitamins B1 (9% RDA), B2 (11% RDA) and B6 (11% RDA), vitamin E (13% RDA) and especially abundant in vitamin K (357% RDA).
10 – Health Benefits of Dandelion Greens: The nutrients in dandelion greens may help reduce the risk of cancer, multiple sclerosis, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and stroke. Dandelion contains anti-inflammatory properties which may provide benefit to those with asthma and other inflammatory diseases.

Dandelion greens has a bitter taste which is better for your liver. The bitter of the green the better it is for your liver. With the bitterness taste, it reminds me of papaya leaves taste.

I always like adding tiny anchovies for my stir fry greens and sometimes fish sauce as well and I don’t add salt.

Stir Fry Dandelion Greens with Garlic Recipe

Ingredients:
500 grams dandelion greens
1/4 cup tiny anchovies
2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
some thinly sliced red chili
1 tablespoon ginger juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
seasalt (if you need it)
3 tablespoons cooking oil

Methods:
Rinse dandelion greens and soak them in water. Drain.

Heat a wok and add cooking oil. Stir fry garlic, chilies and anchovies over low heat until fragrant.

Toss in dandelion greens and stir fry briefly. Add ginger juice and fish sauce. Season with salt only if you need it.Stir fry until the dandelion greens wilt. Serve.

Cook’s Note:
* Most leafy greens should be stir fried over high heat quickly. You should never cook them more than 5 minutes to cut down on nutrient loss. Otherwise, they will not stay green nor taste crunchy.