Stir Fried Water Spinach with Fermented Bean Curd (炒腐乳空心菜)

Stir Fried Water Spinach with Fermented Bean Curd on a plate.

5 from 9 votes

Stir Fried Water Spinach with Fermented Bean Curd (炒腐乳空心菜)

Stir Fried Water Spinach with Fermented Bean Curd comes with crunchy greens. It's on the table in just 20 minutes, making it the perfect dish for rice!

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time20

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Cantonese, Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 105kcal

Author: Jeannette

Ingredients

3 bundle water spinach (we get ours from the local Asian supermarket)
3 cube white fermented bean curd (plus 2 tsp liquid from the jar; or to taste)
2 clove garlic (finely chopped)
4 tbsp cooking oil
3/4 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
1 chili (chopped; optional)

Instructions

Divide the vegetable into smaller sections, roughly 5cm or 2" long. Rip the tips of the leaves off so that the softest parts remain.
Then wash and dry the greens and use a colander for the drip drying process. You can find a guide on how to wash herbs and leafy vegetables here.
Mash the fermented tofu until it becomes a paste.
Heat a pan or wok up on high and when hot, pour the oil in. Turn the heat down to low and add the garlic and chili in. Stir for 30 seconds.
Turn the heat back up to high and add the water spinach in.
Season the greens with the fermented paste and chicken bouillon powder, then stir for 3 minutes or until well combined and just cooked.
Transfer onto a dish and serve hot with rice!

Notes

Use young and fresh vegetables. Grandma always opts for the younger variety because it's not as tough. To test their age, use a nail and pierce through the stem when grocery shopping. If it's tough, it won't break through easily.
Keep the heat high. As with any stir fry, you MUST have the wok at its hottest setting to prevent the greens from boiling at a lower temperature.
Avoid overcooking. Keep an eye on the greens and take them out as soon as they're cooked. This will help to retain their crunch.
Cook in smaller batches. Unless you have a commercial-grade gas cooktop that can produce very high heat, divide the vegetables into 2-3 lots when cooking to maximise their texture.
You can find fermented bean curd in Asian supermarkets. They're often stored in glass jars with the lid sealed using plastic to keep the robust aromas locked inside.

Nutrition