Stir-Fried Water Spinach

Method

Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.

1. Cut the water spinach into 8 cm lengths, keeping the stems and leaves in separate piles. Shake them as dry as you can.

   Mark done

2. Heat the wok until it is smoking, then add the oil.

   Mark done

3. Add the garlic and chilli and stir for 10 seconds.

   Mark done

4. Add the stems and stir-fry hard 30 seconds.

   Mark done

5. Add the leaves, the mashed bean curd with its brine, the wine, sugar and salt.

   Mark done

6. Toss constantly 45 seconds, until the leaves have just collapsed and the stems still snap.

   Mark done

7. Tip straight onto a plate — it overcooks in the wok off the heat.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Stems first, leaves thirty seconds later.
• A smoking wok. A cool one stews the greens.
• Onto the plate immediately or it keeps cooking.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the red chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Steamed rice
• Steamed fish
• Braised pork

Storage & Reheating

None. It is limp within ten minutes.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.