Ahh! This dish is so fragrant that you can scent it from outside of a restaurant! That is because this classic vegetable stir fry uses the redoubtable Chinese fermented shrimp paste 蝦醬 as the flavoring component.
In this Stir Fried Tong Choi with Shrimp Paste 蝦醬炒通菜 the briny, pungent, funky shrimp paste clings lovingly to the tender leaves and crunchy stems of the Chinese Tong Choi, thoroughly flavouring the leaves as well as providing the base for the scrumptious sauce.
This versatile vegetable has so many names! It is called Tung Choi, water spinach, river spinach, water morning glory (I love this name!), water convolvulus and ong choy. The Chinese names are also various: 通菜, 空心菜 and 蕹菜. I think that the number of names this vegetable has collected speaks to its popularity.
Did you know that in HK there is a street named after this very vegetable? That's right, Tung Choi Street 通菜街 in Kowloon, HK is named for a long ago paddy field that grew tung choi in riotous profusion right there where the now bustling mega crowded street exists.
Check out a historical photo of that very field here. It's pretty mind blowing as this is Tung Choi Street now (photo showing the famous Ladies Market, if you're curious) :
Tung Choi Street (Photo by Wpcpey) |
But I digress, back to our veg! Know that there are two major types of tung choi out there. There is the green stem water spinach and the white stem water spinach . The green stem water spinach 青通 has thinner (comparatively) green stems and the texture is smooth and tender. The white stem water spinach 白通 has white thicker stems and is also smooth but a bit more crisp to eat.
Look for this vegetable at your local Asian grocer and, of course, you can find at any wet market in HK. When buying water spinach check that the leaves and stems are fresh and not crushed or wilted.
As you can see we chose green tung choi to cook today. Because the leaves are quite delicate while the stems are much sturdier and larger, we like to separate the leafy bits from the thicker stems. That way the thicker stems can be added first to allow for more cooking time.
If the stems are really long, snap them into bite sized lengths.
Here is our pile of the leafy bits. You see how much thinner they are?
Condiments for this dish are chilies, shallots, garlic and the fabulous fermented shrimp paste.
If you have never encountered shrimp paste 蝦醬 you will have to take a step back, perhaps, and get used to the very strong aroma of shrimp paste. It’s rather like anchovies, both in the strength of its flavor and smell as well as in the way it magically improves the flavor of the foods it is cooked with.
We used an artisanal shrimp paste which we discovered in Macau. It's amazing! Click on the link to read more about it.
To prepare these flavoring components, simply slice the shallots and chilies and mince the garlic. The amount of garlic is up to you. We like a lot cuz garlic is delish.
The first step in the stir fry is to add the chilies, shallot and garlic and stir until caramelized, fragrant and touched with golden. This is an important step that brings out the flavors of these condiments.
The next step is to add the shrimp paste. Splash! Sizzle! Oh 'ware the aroma! The fragrance of the shrimp paste is gonna penetrate every corner of your house and then some!
Be sure to keep the fire low here as the paste might burn if the heat is too high.
Once the shrimp paste is mixed in it’s time to add the Tung Choi thicker stems. Stir, stir, stir...
Second vegetable phase: add in the leafy bits. Stir, stir, stir...
Stir until the tung choi is completely wilted and soft. It's always surprising how much the tung choi shrinks in the heat. You think you've got such a huge bunch of veggies only to find that they've melted into a perfectly modest sized plate of the most deliciously fragrant tender tung choi ever.
Have a taste and witness the power of the humble shrimp paste! Wowwee! Plate up delicioso Stir Fried Tung Choi with Shrimp Paste and serve hot!
Stir Fried Tung Choi with Shrimp Paste
蝦醬炒通菜
(makes 1 dish) Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 5 mins
Ingredients:
- 17 oz tung choi, 500g
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 red chilies, sliced
- 2 tbsp shrimp paste
- 1 tsp Shao Hsing rice wine
- 1 tsp sugar
Directions:
Wash tung choi and shake dry as possible. Snap the leafy branches off and separate from the thicker stems. Snap thicker stems into smaller lengths if necessary.
In a small bowl mix the shrimp paste and rice wine. If your shrimp paste is still stiff add in a tsp of water to help loosen it up.
Heat wok til hot over medium high heat. Add oil. Add shallots, garlic and chilies and stir fry until fragrant and slightly browned in spots. Turn the heat to low, and add in the shrimp paste mixture. Stir fry til fragrant, about 1 min. Be careful not to burn.
Turn heat back to high and add in thicker tung choi stems first and stir fry 20 secs. Next add leafy stems and sugar. Stir constantly for another minute or so or until the leaves have wilted and the sauce has thickened and is clinging to the veggies.
Spoon out to serving dish and serve hot! Enjoy the unique flavor of shrimp paste!
Veggie-licious at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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