Ingredients

Flavoring Sauce

2 teaspoons fine shrimp sauce

　　1 teaspoon fish sauce

　　1 1/2 tablespoons water

　　2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

　　3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

　　Trimmed, cut, and blanched water spinach (opposite)

　　2 limes, cut into wedges

　　

Step 1

To make the flavoring sauce, in a small bowl, combine the shrimp sauce, fish sauce, and water and stir to mix well. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 15 seconds, or until fragrant Add the water spinach and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until heated through. Add the flavoring sauce and toss with the greens to distribute evenly. Remove from the heat and squeeze half of the lime wedges over the water spinach. Stir gently and transfer to a serving plate. Serve with the remaining lime wedges for diners who enjoy a tangier dish.

　　

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.