Stir Fried Water Spinach with Shrimp Paste

Name: Stir Fried Water Spinach with Shrimp Paste
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1.5 pounds Water spinach; 4 cloves Garlic; 3 pieces Chili peppers ((You can use less depend on your spiciness.)); 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil; 1 tablespoon Shrimp paste; 2 tablespoons Water

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Stir fried water spinach is a classic and common Chinese vegetable dish like baby bok choy stir fry, yu choy sum, gai lan and Chinese spinach amaranth. This water spinach stir fry with shrimp paste is one of the ways to cook ong choy. Also, this Chinese water spinach stir fry recipe is a simple and easy stir fry vegetable dish for your side.

Love Chinese food? Check out these braised Chinese mushrooms, char siu, pan fried dumplings, Chinese bacon cabbage stir fry, garlic chives & eggs, steamed pork patty and steamed pork ribs recipe.

stir fried water spinach with shrimp paste on a plate

What is water spinach?

Water spinach is an ipomoea aquatica. And, it is a semi-aquatic and tropical plant. It has tender shoots. Also, it’s commonly grown in Southeast Asia. Most people call it Chinese water spinach, kōng xīn cài (空心菜) in mandarin or ong choy, tung choy (通菜) in Cantonese.

How to cook Chinese water spinach?

Some people like to boil water spinach. However, the most common and best way to cook ong choy is to stir fry them.

How to stir fry water spinach?

There are two common ways Chinese people like to stir fry tung choy or ong choy. One way they like to stir fry water spinach with shrimp paste. The other way they like to stir fry tung choy with salted fermented bean curd.

Personally, I like both of them. In this water spinach stir fry recipe, I am going to share how to stir fry water spinach with shrimp paste.

What are the ingredients for stir fried ong choy with shrimp paste?

The main ingredients are ong choy, garlic, chili peppers, vegetable oil, water and salty shrimp paste.

ong choy or water spianch stir fry ingredients

Cooking tips for how to make ong choy stir fry with shrimp paste:

Soak the ong choy for 15 minutes. Then wash it a few times (3 times).
Cut the water spinach into half.
Cook the stem first, then add the leaf part.
Always adjust the amount of shrimp paste according to your taste because it is salty.

FAQs:

Can I not use shrimp paste?

Yes, you can use salt instead of shrimp paste. Just add salt to your taste.

How to cut water spinach?

Normally, I cut it half because my pan is not big enough. Also, I cook the stem first because it takes a little bit longer than the leaf part to cook.

Instructions for how to stir fry water spinach with shrimp paste:

cut tung choy or ong choy (water spinach) into half

1. Soak 1.5 pounds of water spinach for 15 minutes. Then, wash it a few times (3 times). After that, cut the ong choy into half.

2. Minced 4 garlic cloves.

3. Cut 3 chili peppers. (You can use less depending on your spiciness.)

shrimp paste in a glass container top view

4. Put 1 tablespoon of shrimp paste in a container.

mixture of shrimp paste in a container top view

5. Then, add 2 tablespoons of water into shrimp paste and mix it well.

stir fry garlic and chili pepper in a pan over the stove

6. Pour 1 tablespoon vegetable oil into a pan. Add the minced garlic and chili peppers. Stir fry them a little bit.

7. After that, add the stem part of water spinach. Cover the lid for 1-2 minute.

shrimp paste mixture pour on the water spinach or ong choy in the pan

8. Next, add the leaf part of ong choy, shrimp paste mixture and cover the lid for a minute.

stir fry ong choy water spinach with shrimp paste in the pan

9. After, stir fry them a little and ready to serve.

Enjoy this simple and tasty ong choy or water spinach stir fry with shrimp paste recipe! Also, check out these authentic how to prepare bamboo shoots, mushroom chicken, tomato eggs, pickled snow cabbage, beef with bitter melon and sticky rice dumpling recipes.