Flash-Wok Garlic Water Spinach
Hollow-stemmed water spinach is blasted in a scorching wok with an abundance of garlic, fish sauce, and a whisper of sugar, emerging bright green, tender-crisp, and impossibly aromatic in under two minutes. This is the beloved Vietnamese side dish that appears on nearly every lunch table, and once you master the technique, you will make it on repeat.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch water spinach (rau muong), about 1 lb
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly smashed and chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
+ 5 more ingredients
Instructions
Wash the water spinach thoroughly and shake dry. Cut into 3-inch lengths, keeping the tender leaves and hollow stems together but separating any thick, woody lower stems to discard.
Heat the oil in a wok over the highest heat possible until the oil just begins to shimmer and lightly smoke.
Add the garlic and chili and stir-fry for 10 seconds, just until the garlic becomes fragrant but has not yet browned.
Immediately add all the water spinach at once. It will seem like too much but it wilts down rapidly. Toss aggressively with tongs or a wok spatula for 30 seconds.
Add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Continue tossing for another 30 to 45 seconds until the stems are crisp-tender and the leaves are just wilted but still vibrant green.
Transfer immediately to a serving plate; do not leave in the wok or it will overcook from residual heat.
Serve right away alongside steamed jasmine rice as part of a Vietnamese lunch spread.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI