My good friend Jenny Lo, who is Malaysian–Chinese, introduced me to this delicious, earthy dish. I have since eaten it numerous times in Singapore. Water spinach is a leafy vegetable that is prolific throughout south-east Asia. It is similar to ordinary spinach, which can easily be substituted. However, the appeal of water spinach is the crunchy, hollow stalk, that is just as tasty as the leaves. You can find water spinach in Chinese supermarkets and groceries.
| Informal supper |
| Preparation time 20 minutes |
| Serves 2–4 |
675 g (1½ lb) (6 cups) water spinach or regular spinach
2 tablespoons groundnut (peanut) oil
2 teaspoons shrimp paste
50 g (2 oz) (¼ cup) shallots, finely sliced
5 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 fresh red chilli peppers, deseeded and chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 If you are using water spinach, wash it thoroughly and trim any tough ends off the stalks. If you are using ordinary spinach, wash it thoroughly and remove and discard the stalks.
2 Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat and add the oil. When it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the shrimp paste and crush it in the hot oil. Add the shallots and garlic and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until they are lightly browned.
3 Add the chilli peppers, sugar and spinach. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes to coat the spinach thoroughly with the aromatic mixture.
4 After the spinach has wilted to about a third of its original volume, stir-fry for another 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer the spinach to a plate and pour off any excess liquid. Serve immediately.