Suan Rong Kong Xin Cai (Garlic Stir-fried Water Spinach)
The firepower of the Chinese hot pot is alive! The king of crispy greens is finished in 10 seconds
Description
Massively popular veg stir-fry in Japanese Thai/Chinese restaurants. Water Spinach (Kong Xin Cai), which has hollow stems, is violently tossed with massive garlic over absolute maximum wok heat for mere seconds. The garlic aroma and the 'SNAPPING' crunch of the hollow stems make it the ultimate beer companion.
Restaurants serving Suan Rong Kong Xin Cai (Garlic Stir-fried Water Spinach)
Researching
We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
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(Kong Xin Cai)
- Garlic(massive)
- Veg oil(or Lard)
- Salt
- Chicken bouillon
- (Fermented tofu optional)
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe & Fermented Tofu Version]
- (Veg Prep) Wash fresh Water Spinach. Trim hard ends. Separate the stems from the leaves to ensure even cooking (stems go in first).
- Smash massive raw garlic cloves with a cleaver and mince coarsely (Suan Rong).
- (Ultimate High Heat - Bao Chao) Heat a wok to the smoking limit. Add generous oil (lard adds supreme depth).
- Dump in garlic to bloom aroma instantly.
- Immediately dump in the 'stems' and toss for seconds. Follow instantly with the 'leaves'.
- Sprinkle salt, a pinch of sugar, and chicken bouillon, tossing violently on max heat.
- [Variation: Fu Ru Kong Xin Cai]: Instead of salt, add a slurry of 'Fu Ru' (fermented tofu paste) and sugar. This creates a Guangdong masterpiece with a deep, cheese-like umami.
- The exact second the leaves wilt slightly but remain bright green (15-
- seconds TOTAL), kill the heat instantly and plate.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense charred garlic aroma(Fermented tofu version adds aged depth)
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Can be made perfectly with JP supermarket Water Spinach)
Pairing
Cold Beer / White Rice
Trivia
[Trivia] Because home stoves lack the firepower, rendering the dish soggy, it is a vegetable stir-fry that only reveals its true value when cooked on a restaurant's 'jet engine burner with a massive iron wok'. It embodies the Chinese culinary proverb: 'Vegetables are the hardest things to stir-fry.'
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Grab massive bunches with chopsticks while piping hot and chew vigorously. Because the stems are hollow, the garlic and oil umami lodge inside. Every chew detonates a 'SNAP, SQUIRT' of sound and flavor. Because it oxidizes black and bleeds water over time, the absolute rule is to eat it first the moment it arrives.
Allergen
Soybeans (If using fermented tofu)