Wash the spinach thoroughly. Remove all the stalks, leaving just the leaves.

Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of warm water for 25 minutes. Then drain them in a colander or sieve. (if you are using dried egg noodles, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water, drain, and immerse in cold water until required.)

Heat a wok or large pan to moderate heat and add the oil. Put in the salt and garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the spinach leaves and stir-fry for 2 minutes to coat the spinach leaves thoroughly. When the spinach has wilted to about a third of its original size, add the rice noodles, sugar, soy sauce, and chili oil, and continue to stirfry for another 4 minutes.

Transfer the noodles to a plate, and pour off any excess liquid. Serve hot or cold.