How to stir fry spinach? It's delicious and simple

Stir fried water spinach is delicious and simple, and the key lies in controlling the heat, seasoning combination, and pre-processing techniques. The main methods are stir frying, garlic flavoring, blanching, color preserving, seasoning with salt and sugar, and flavoring with Fermented bean curd.

1. Stir fry over high heat

Water spinach has a crispy and tender texture, suitable for quick stir frying over high heat. After the pot is heated until smoke comes out, pour in oil. Once the oil temperature rises, add water spinach and stir fry quickly to retain moisture and maintain a crisp texture. Control the entire process within 1 minute to avoid excessive heating causing yellowing and softening of the vegetable leaves. Iron pots with fast thermal conductivity are more suitable for this cooking method. If using non stick pots, the preheating time should be appropriately extended.

2. Garlic Mash for Fragrance

Garlic is the most classic combination of water spinach. Chop the garlic cloves into small pieces and stir fry until the oil is 50% hot until fragrant. Once the garlic cloves turn slightly yellow, immediately add water spinach. Garlic fragrance can neutralize the astringency of water spinach. It is recommended to pair 3-4 cloves of garlic with every 500 grams of water spinach. If you like the spicy taste, you can add millet pepper to stir fry together, but be aware that chili seeds can easily produce a burnt and bitter taste. It is recommended to remove the seeds before use.

3. Blanch to preserve color

Put the washed water spinach into boiling water and blanch for 10 seconds. Immediately remove it and cool it down with supercooled water. This step can destroy the activity of oxidase and prevent it from turning black during frying, especially suitable for old hollow cabbage with thicker stems. Adding a little salt and cooking oil when blanching can make the vegetables greener. Pay attention to draining the water before putting it into the pot to avoid oil splashing and scalding.

4. Seasoning with salt and sugar

The water spinach itself has a slight bitterness, and the best seasoning ratio is a 2:1 combination of salt and sugar. Sprinkle seasoning 30 seconds before serving and quickly stir well. 500g of water spinach requires about 3g of salt and 1.5g of sugar. For heavy flavors, a small amount of fish sauce can be added to enhance freshness. Avoid using dark soy sauce seasonings as they can easily mask the true color of vegetables.

5. Fermented bean curd flavor enhancement

Cantonese fried cabbage is often seasoned with white Fermented bean curd. Crush a piece of Fermented bean curd and stir it with a little hot water. When the cabbage is cooked to 80% maturity, pour it along the edge of the pot. The fermented flavor of Fermented bean curd can enhance the sense of hierarchy of the whole dish and reduce the salt consumption. It is better to choose delicate Fermented bean curd from Guilin. Stir it evenly to avoid local over salting.

For daily cooking of water spinach, it is recommended to choose seasonal ingredients with straight stems and fresh and tender leaves. For old stems, the outer layer of coarse fibers can be peeled off. Soak in salt water for 10 minutes to remove pesticide residues during cleaning, drain and then cut into sections. Pairing with lard or shrimp sauce can enhance flavor, but hypertensive patients should control the amount of these high sodium ingredients. For those with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, stir fry water spinach with ginger shreds to neutralize its coolness. The remaining water spinach should not be heated overnight, as the nitrate in it is easily converted to nitrite.