To stir-fry fresh, crisp, and sweet water spinach, you need to pay attention to a few steps. If you make a mistake from the first step, the stir-fried water spinach will turn dark and unappetizing.
When ordering stir-fried water spinach at a restaurant, you may wonder how the chef can make the dish look so vibrant and tasty. However, when you stir-fry water spinach at home, it often turns dark and loses its visual appeal.
Hearing that, the chef immediately asked: “Do you often directly put the vegetables into the pan without any preparation? That’s why your stir-fried water spinach turns dark and doesn’t taste good”.
An experienced chef with 42 years of experience shared with me 5 tips for stir-frying water spinach to ensure that the vegetables remain vibrant. If you follow this method, you can guarantee that none of your stir-fried water spinach dishes will turn dark.
Ingredients for stir-fried water spinach:
– 600 grams of water spinach,
– 10 grams of minced garlic,
– 5 grams of minced ginger,
– 10 grams of oyster sauce,
– 15ml of cooking oil,
– A slice of fresh lime (or 2ml of white vinegar),
– Salt, pepper, a little bouillon powder
Correct method for stir-frying water spinach:
Step 1. Rinse the water spinach thoroughly, then soak it in a bowl of water with a pinch of salt and a slice of fresh lime for about 8 minutes.
– After that, rinse the soaked water spinach and let it drain.
Step 2. Heat up a pot, add an appropriate amount of oil, and heat it until it reaches 80% hot. Then, add the minced garlic and minced ginger to stir-fry until fragrant. Next, add the water spinach and stir-fry for about 30 seconds over high heat.
– After 30 seconds, add the oyster sauce, salt, pepper, and bouillon powder to the water spinach. Continue to stir-fry for 2 minutes over high heat, then transfer to a plate.
5 tips for stir-frying water spinach:
1. When stir-frying water spinach, it’s recommended to soak the vegetables in an acidic solution. Acidic substances can prevent the water spinach from oxidizing and turning black due to exposure to air.
Therefore, when rinsing the water spinach, you should soak it in lime juice or vinegar. Be sure to use only a slice of lime or a small amount of vinegar, as too much acidity will affect the taste of the vegetables.
This is an important step in stir-frying water spinach to ensure that the vegetables remain fresh and vibrant.
2. After rinsing the water spinach, make sure to drain off all the water. It’s best to let the vegetables completely dry, without any water droplets, to ensure that they become tender.
3. When stir-frying water spinach, use more oil compared to other types of vegetables. The oil will coat the water spinach, preventing it from turning black.
4. After stir-frying the water spinach, it’s best to consume it within half an hour. If you wait too long, the vegetables may darken slightly, even if you stir-fried them correctly.
5. When stir-frying water spinach, avoid leaving excess water in the pan. Excess water will prolong the cooking time and may result in dark, limp, and less crunchy vegetables. This small detail is essential.
Many people make mistakes in the first step when stir-frying water spinach, which explains why the dish turns dark when served.
Therefore, when stir-frying water spinach, simply soak the vegetables in an acidic solution and pay attention to the following tips to ensure that your stir-fried water spinach remains vibrant and appetizing!
Crispy and vibrant morning glory stir-fry, no more excess water with this simple step
This season, there is an abundance of morning glory in the market. With a bowl of sour morning glory soup and a plate of stir-fried morning glory with seaweed, the meal is absolutely delicious!
