Stir Fried Mangetout and Water Chestnuts

Ken Hom's combination of vegetables in his stir fries is something I've always loved. Though I do have problems with the saltiness of his dishes. More often than not I have to reduce (sometimes considerably) either the salt or soy sauce or the fish sauce to give my kidneys some respite. Other than that, his inventiveness and ability to adapt traditional Chinese recipes to contemporary ingredients and Western kitchens is never in doubt. I've often consulted his cookbooks whenever I need to have some 'imaginative' Asian dish. This one is adapted from his Hot Wok cookbook.

Stir Fried Mangetout and Water Chestnuts
(Ginisang Sitcharo at Apulid)

225 g  drained canned water chestnuts (apulid)
30 g  dried Chinese black mushrooms
1 Tbsp groundnut oil
3 Tbsp finely chopped green onions
225 g  mangetout (snow peas/sitcharo) - trimmed
1 Tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp water
1 tsp sesame oil

1. Soak the mushrooms in hot water for about 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze out the excess liquid. Cut and discard the stems and finely shred the caps into thin strips.
2. Combine the soy sauce, sea salt, rice wine, pepper, sugar, and water in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add the oil, when it is smoking hot add the green onions and stir fry for 10 seconds.
4. Add the mangetout and mushrooms. Stir fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the soy sauce mixture and continue to stir fry for another 3 minutes.
6. Add the water chestnuts and cook for a final 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the sesame oil, dish up and serve at once.