Stir-fried Water Spinach
The cavity of the stem is soaked with garlic! Absolute vegetable in Taiwanese cafeteria
Description
The king of crisp textures, where 'Water Spinach' (Kongxincai)—with straw-like hollow stems—is rapid-fried with garlic in a wok for just dozens of seconds.
Restaurants serving Stir-fried Water Spinach
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Water spinach
- Raw garlic
- Lard(or Oil)
- Salt
- Rice wine
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Prep] Wash water spinach well, cut into 5cm pieces, separating 'stems' and 'leaves' due to different cooking times.
- Heat a wok fiercely until smoking, add generous oil (lard recommended).
- Add 'massive garlic' smashed with a cleaver for aroma.
- [Race against time] Add the hard 'stems' first for a few seconds, then instantly dump the 'leaves' in.
- Splash salt (or a little chicken bouillon) and a secret dash of 'rice wine' around the wok edge.
- When leaves wilt to a vibrant green, plate quickly within 'under
- seconds' (dawdling turns it black and kills the crunch).
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense raw garlic aroma
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Spinach or Komatsuna (lacks hollow texture)
Pairing
Lu Rou Fan、Fried Rice、or alongside drinks
Trivia
[For Everyone] In Taiwan, veg stir-fry means 'Chao Kongxincai' above all. In tavern kitchens, you see artisan skills finishing it in seconds with roaring flames. Simple, but replicating the shop's crunch and 'Wok Hei' at home is extremely hard.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Enjoy the umami of the garlic oil soaked inside the 'straw-like stems' of the water spinach releasing 'sizzle' into your mouth the moment you bite!
Allergen
None