Ingredients

Flavoring Sauce

3/4 teaspoon sugar

　　1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce

　　1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce

　　2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil

　　3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

　　Trimmed, cut, and blanched water spinach (opposite)

　　1 1/2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

　　1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water

　　

Step 1

To make the flavoring sauce, in a small bowl, combine the sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and oil and stir to mix well. Stir in half of the garlic and set aside.

　　

Step 2

In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the remaining garlic and stir-fry for about 15 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the water spinach and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until heated through. Give the flavoring sauce a stir to recombine and then add it to the pan and toss with the greens to distribute evenly. When the water spinach starts releasing its taupe-colored juices, add the cornstarch mixture. Cook for another minute, or until the sauce thickens slightly and the spinach takes on a silky finish. Transfer to a plate and serve.

　　

SELECTING AND STORING WATER SPINACH

Step 3

To minimize waste, select freshly cut bunches with stems no wider than 1/4 inch. Once home, trim the ends (like a bunch of flowers), wrap the bottom 3 to 4 inches of stems in damp paper towels, and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator to keep crisp. Cook the greens within a couple days.

　　Reprinted with permission from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors by Andrea Nguyen. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright © 2006.  Photographs by Leigh Beisch. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.