Stir-Fried Water Spinach and Charred Red Chiles

In Sichuan Province, chiles sneak their way into many dishes. At the Jiangxi Guild, the chef threw a handful of dried red chiles that resembled jalapeños into a simple dish of stir-fried greens. The chiles look deadly, but their effect is surprisingly mild; if the chile remains whole, much of the heat is contained inside. In this recipe, I’ve used widely available small hot dried chiles, and their effect is minor as long as you don’t break open the pods or eat them.