Fermented Tofu!? It’s not as weird as it sounds. Especially when it comes to Chinese stir fried water spinach.
Stir-Fried green leaf vegetables are an essential part of the Chinese menu, whether back home in the US or here in China. These days, all kinds of Chinese vegetables are readily available in Asian markets scattered around American suburbs. A favorite, often served in restaurants, is water spinach. They’re hollow-stemmed vegetables, with different varieties that grow in water. The most common variety found in markets, however, are grown in regular soil.
The most common way to cook these green leafy vegetables is with oil, garlic and salt. But for a change of pace, another traditional way to cook these is with fermented tofu and stir fried water spinach is one of those dishes. Fermented tofu is a condiment, often compared to cheese, that’s made by fermenting soy bean curd. It has a great savory flavor. It’s actually not all that exotic when it really comes down to it, so don’t be afraid to try it! Find out more about it in our Chinese ingredients glossary.
You’ll need:
- 1 small bunch water spinach
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 to 4 thin slices of ginger, julienned
- 4 to 5 dried red chili peppers
- 1 to 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 squares of white fermented tofu – about ½ tablespoon
- Pinch of sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of white pepper
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
Remove the larger, tough stems from these hollow stem water spinach vegetables. You can leave the thinner, tender stems.
Wash the vegetables thoroughly in water (a couple soaks and rinses should work) and transfer to a colander to let the excess water drain.
Prepare the other ingredients, so that they’re ready to go when you’re cooking.
Heat oil in a wok over high heat and add the ginger.
Stir for about 10 seconds and then add the dried chilies, garlic, fermented tofu, sugar, salt, and white pepper.
Stir fry the mixture, keeping the heat on high…
…And add the greens.
Stir-fry, moving the vegetables around the bottom of the wok so nothing burns. Use a folding motion, stir fry the mixture so all of the vegetables get seared evenly. After about a minute of this, move the vegetables into a mound in the middle of the wok. This technique is to allow the sides of the wok to reheat to get the “wok hay” flavor in there.
After about 30 seconds of high heat, add the wine around the perimeter of the wok and quickly spread your vegetable mound in a circular motion around the wok to get that searing “wok hay” effect for another 15-30 seconds.
Plate and serve your stir fried water spinach right away!
- 1 small bunch water spinach
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 to 4 thin slices of ginger, julienned
- 4 to 5 dried red chili peppers
- 1 to 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 squares of fermented tofu – about ½ tablespoon
- Pinch of sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of white pepper
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
- Remove the larger, tough stems from the vegetables. You can leave the thinner, tender stems. Wash the vegetables thoroughly in water (a couple soaks and rinses should work) and transfer to a colander to let the excess water drain.
- Heat oil in a wok over high heat and add the ginger. Stir for about 10 seconds and then add the dried chilies, garlic, fermented tofu, sugar, salt, and white pepper.
- Stir fry the mixture, keeping the heat on high, and add the greens. Stir-fry, moving the vegetables around the bottom of the wok so nothing burns. Use a folding motion, stir fry the mixture so all of the vegetables get seared evenly. After about a minute of this, move the vegetables into a mound in the middle of the wok. This technique is to allow the sides of the wok to reheat to get the “wok hay” flavor in there.
- After about 30 seconds of high heat, add the wine around the perimeter of the wok and quickly spread your vegetable mound in a circular motion around the wok to get that searing “wok hay” effect for another 15-30 seconds.
- Plate and serve immediately.
Esther says
Hello again, any advice from anyone who made this recipe would be great. I just want to know how many pounds or ounces that might be for a small bunch. Thanks so much!
Bill says
Hi Esther, Sorry for the delay in responding! A bunch of these green veegies is about 1 pound or less when it is unwashed. Sometimes green leaf veggies have more water content and are heavier. Hope that helps!
Esther says
Hi Bill,
Thank you for the advice. The bunch I got from the Chinese supermarket looked really big, definitely way over a pound, a few pounds I would say. Also one more question, I saw 2 kinds of veggies, one said “water spinach-ong choy” and the other one just said “ong choy”. The stems on the water spinach bunch had very big hollow stems, but the other one had much thinner stems. Are they both the same? Do they taste different? Which one would you recommend? Thanks so much!
Bill says
Hi Esther, There are actually two types of ong-choy, one that grows in water and one that grows on dry land. That said, I cannot tell the difference by looking at them at the market. Both taste the same and we cannot tell the difference, so my advice is to just ensure that you buy tender plants. The stems should snap easily when bent. If they just bend and are fibrous, then move on or be prepared that you may have to cut off most of the stem during preparation. Hope that helps!
Esther says
Hi, how much is a small bunch of water spinach? I just bought a bunch but it is a huge bunch! Can you tell me how many pounds or ounces that might be please? Thank you.
Maggie says
One of my favorite vegetables and my favorite is cooked this way :)
Sarah says
Us too Maggie!
Irina @ wandercrush says
I LOVE this dish and can eat huge plates of it in one sitting. The fermented tofu really brings it all together, although I find that many of my Western friends find the taste rather offensive. That’s okay, though—more for me. Thanks for this recipe :)
Sarah says
hahaha I know! it’s a misunderstood condiment. When we make it for people and they don’t know what’s in it, they usually like it. But the more-for-me mentality is also a good way to go.