How to Make Crisp and Fragrant Stir-Fried Water Spinach with Garlic
By following this stir-fried water spinach with garlic recipe, you'll have a plate of vibrant green, crispy water spinach that's full of garlicky aroma, just like in restaurants.
Ingredients
- Water spinach: 1 bunch
- Garlic: 1-2 bulbs
- Common seasonings
Instructions
Preparation
Trim the water spinach, discarding any tough stems and yellow leaves, and keep the tender tips. To ensure the water spinach is crispy when stir-fried, use more stems than leaves.
After trimming, rinse the water spinach, then soak it in diluted salt water for about 5-10 minutes. Rinse again and drain well in a colander.
Here’s a great tip: after rinsing, you can soak the water spinach in a bowl of ice water. This helps the spinach stay crispy and green. Soak for about 3 minutes, then drain.
Peel and smash the garlic cloves.
When stir-frying vegetables, many people tend to chop garlic, but chopped garlic can easily burn over high heat, leading to a bitter taste. Just smashing the garlic cloves will keep them from burning while still releasing a wonderful aroma.
Stir-Fry the Water Spinach
Add 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil to a pan and heat it up. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and sauté over medium heat to avoid burning. Once the garlic is fragrant, add a small amount of water (about 2ml), stir for a few seconds, then add the water spinach to the pan.
Increase the heat slightly and stir continuously. Once the water spinach begins to wilt, season with salt and MSG to taste. Stir-fry over high heat for about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat, sprinkle with a bit of ground pepper, mix well, and transfer to a plate.
The stir-fried water spinach with garlic should have a vibrant green color and a distinct garlic aroma. The spinach should be crispy and sweet, with well-balanced seasoning. The garlic will be fragrant and not burnt. Notably, the dish should not have too much liquid because the spinach was stir-fried just right at the appropriate time and temperature.
Tips & Notes
- Choosing the right water spinach is crucial. First, select a bunch of fresh water spinach with no wilted or yellowing leaves. Opt for the crispy variety with light green stems rather than the dark green type. Crispy water spinach usually has slender stems and fewer, smaller leaves.
- Avoid thick, fat stems with dark green leaves, as these tend to have a bitter taste when boiled or stir-fried, even if you only use the tender tips. These are often over-fertilized, resulting in darker leaves. Also, avoid bunches with many roots growing along the stems, as they are likely old and tough.
- A tip for identifying tender and tasty water spinach for future reference: The cooking water of over-fertilized water spinach will often turn dark green and taste bitter. Even when cooled or with lemon juice added, the water remains cloudy green instead of turning a clear yellow-green.
- Some restaurants have a secret to making their stir-fried water spinach extra green and tasty: using garlic oil. Garlic oil is easy to make at home and can be used for various stir-fried dishes. Simply peel and chop or crush 3 garlic bulbs, place them in a clean, dry glass jar, cover with cooking oil, seal tightly, and store in a cool, dry place for later use.
Cookbeo has shared how to make stir-fried water spinach as green and crispy as in restaurants without needing to blanch the vegetables first.
Good luck and enjoy your meal!
