Tender water spinach stir fried with smashed garlic and fermented tofu - I have many favorite veggies, but this is my favorite veggie dish of all times! In this post, I'm going to show you how we usually cook it - easy and delicious, and nutritious too!

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About the Ingredients

Here's some extra info about the ingredients you might find helpful!

Water Spinach

Water spinach is a long, leafy green with long tender hollow shoots. That's why in mandarin it's name is Kongxincai 空心菜, which directly translates to empty heart vegetable.

This veggie actually has several names - it is also known as kangkong, river spinach, water morning glory, or ong choy is a vegetable that originates from Southeast Asia.

Water spinach is commonly cultivated in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and South Asia where it is warmer and receives more rain, as it grows abundantly near waterways and requires little to no care.

It grows so well, in fact, that it's actually illegal in most states! Water spinach is considered an invasive species. But because it's such a staple in Asian cooking, this leafy green is finally unbanned in some places - most recently, Georgia, where I live!

Water spinach is often used in Indonesian, Burmese, Thai, Lao, Cambodian, Malay, Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, and Taiwanese cuisine.

Also - this veggie can be eaten both cooked and raw.

What does Water Spinach taste like?

Water spinach is not technically or scientifically related to spinach, but its taste has been described as a cross between spinach and watercress.

I prefer it to spinach and watercress though, as it has more of an earthy taste and it is not bitter like spinach and watercress can be.

Is Water Spinach healthy?

Water spinach is a healthy vegetable! It has many nutrients that boost your skin and brain as it contains iron, vitamin C, vitamin A. This veggie has also been used in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of jaundice and liver problems.

Fermented Tofu / Bean Curd

This dish is very simple and uses only a few ingredients. You can cook your water spinach with just oil, garlic, salt, however, we almost always also cook with fermented tofu (aka fermented bean curd).

Fermented tofu is a Chinese condiment consisting of processed, preserved tofu. The ingredients typically include soybeans, salt, rice wine and sesame oil or vinegar.

If you’ve never used this ingredient before, just fyi – it is not one that smells great, and can be an acquired taste!

This is the brand I use:

You can find some in your local Asian supermarket or even amazon:

Fermented Beancurd Tofu (Chunk) in dressing with mini Minced Chili -Spicy 10.5 oz (3 Packs) (the brand I use)

Szechuan Fermented Beancurd Tofu Spicy 10oz (pack of 3)

How to stir fry Water Spinach

All right let's get to the good part. This is our favorite go-to way of cooking this delicious veggie!

First, gather your ingredients:

• 1 pound water spinach, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1-2 tablespoon fermented bean curd (optional), adjust to taste
• Salt to taste

Preparing the water spinach

Wash the water spinach by soaking it in a large bowl of water to remove any dirt. Rinse and then remove from the water.

Trim off the bottom 1-2 inches of the water spinach. Most of the stem area should be tender, so leave the leaves and the tender parts of the stem.

Cut the water spinach into approximately 2-inch lengths. Discard any leaves that are wilted or heavily bruised.

Cooking the water spinach

In a wok or large cooking pan, add the cooking oil and heat it over high heat. Add the garlic to the hot oil and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add the prepared water spinach to the wok/pan and stir-fry until the vegetables are about halfway wilted.

If using, add the fermented bean curd along with a little of its juice/water. Season with salt to taste.

Stir-fry until the vegetables are soft. Remove from the heat immediately to avoid overcooking and making them mushy. Serve hot! This dish is best enjoyed immediately.

If you like this veggie dish, or you do not have access to water spinach, check out a very similar veggie dish I have here (it's my second favorite leafy green!) - Stir Fry Sweet Potato Leaves Recipe!

By the way - there's so many delicious Chinese veggies out there, I wrote a whole article about them here!

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