Ong Choy with garlic sauce is a delightful dish that comes together effortlessly in just 20 minutes, making it an ideal choice for busy days or when you need a quick yet satisfying meal. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and versatility, allowing you to tailor the flavors to suit your preferences.
What is Ong Choy or water spinach
Water spinach, also known as Ong Choy in Cantonese and “空心菜” (Kōng Xīn Cài) in Mandarin, is a semi-aquatic leafy vegetable belonging to the morning glory family. Widely cultivated and consumed across Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia and China, this versatile vegetable goes by various names, including “通菜” (Tōng Cài or tong choy) in Mandarin and Kangkong in Filipino.
With my mother’s vegetable garden always abundant with water spinach, I’m constantly inspired to explore various cooking methods to enjoy them, including stir-frying, such as in my Water Spinach Stir Fry recipe, soup-making, blanching, and more. The fact that they readily grow back after being harvested adds to their appeal, making them a sustainable and reliable source of fresh greens for our meals.
All About The Ingredients Of Ong Choy with Garlic Sauce
Ong Choy (water spinach): The first step is to ensure the water spinach is thoroughly cleaned. Start by trimming off the bottom stems and discarding any wilted leaves. Then, you can either cut the water spinach into 3-inch portions or simply snap it by hand using your fingertips.
The dressing
Minced garlic: Garlic enriches the dish with its nutty and pungent flavor. You can also use crispy fried garlic. If you don’t have garlic but want the garlicky flavors, swap 1 clove of garlic with 1/8 tsp of garlic powder or 1/4 tsp of granulated garlic.
Dried chili peppers: Dried chili peppers make it spicy and smoky. I used 30g of red chili peppers, but you can adjust the amount according to your desired level of heat. If you are not a fan of spicy food, you can omit this from the sauce.
Vinegar: I love using Chinese black vinegar because it has a unique fruity, tangy, and slightly sweet taste. You can find Chinese black vinegar as Chinkiang vinegar or Zhenjiang vinegar. If you don’t have this, use regular white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, date vinegar, or red wine vinegar.
Ingredients:
- 500g Ong Choy (water spinach)
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil (preferably peanut oil)
For the Dressing:
- 50g Minced garlic
- 20g White sesame seeds
- 30g Dried chili peppers
- 1 tsp Salt for dressing or to taste
- 3 tbsp Cooking oil
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Vinegar
Instructions:
Preparation:
Clean the Ong Choy thoroughly, then cut it into small, bite-sized pieces, ensuring to discard any hard stems.
Blanching:
In a pot, bring water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, preferably peanut oil. The oil helps maintain the vibrant green color of the Ong Choy during blanching.
Once the water is boiling, add the prepared Ong Choy to the pot. Use a spatula or tongs to gently press down on the Ong Choy, ensuring it is fully submerged in the water.
Blanch the Ong Choy for about 1 minute, ensuring that it remains vibrant green and retains its crisp texture.
After blanching, quickly remove the Ong Choy from the pot and soak it in cold water to stop the cooking process. It’s preferable to use cooled boiled water for soaking.
After blanching, ensure that the Ong Choy is well-drained to prevent diluting the dressing. Place the drained Ong Choy on a plate and set it aside.
Dressing Preparation:
In an empty bowl, combine minced garlic, white sesame seeds, and dried chili peppers to create the dressing mixture.
Heat oil in a saucepan until it is sizzling hot, then carefully pour the hot oil over the bowl with the garlic, sesame seeds, and chili peppers. This step helps to release the aromatic flavors of the ingredients.
In the bowl containing the other dressing ingredients, add a tablespoon of light soy sauce, a tablespoon of vinegar, and a teaspoon of salt. Stir well to combine, creating a flavorful dressing with a perfect balance of savory and tangy notes.
Serving:
Pour the prepared dressing over the Ong Choy, ensuring that each piece is coated evenly.
Serve the refreshing Ong Choy with soy sauce dressing immediately as a delightful side dish or accompaniment to your favorite main course.
Ong Choy with garlic sauce: A Vibrant and Flavorful Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g Ong Choy water spinach
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil preferably peanut oil
For the Dressing:
- 50 g Minced garlic
- 20 g White sesame seeds
- 30 g Dried chili peppers
- 1 tsp Salt for dressing or to taste
- 3 tbsp Cooking oil
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Vinegar
Instructions
- Clean the Ong Choy thoroughly, then cut it into small, bite-sized pieces, ensuring to discard any hard stems.
- In a pot, bring water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, preferably peanut oil. The oil helps maintain the vibrant green color of the Ong Choy during blanching.
- Once the water is boiling, add the prepared Ong Choy to the pot. Use a spatula or tongs to gently press down on the Ong Choy, ensuring it is fully submerged in the water.
- Blanch the Ong Choy for about 1 minute, ensuring that it remains vibrant green and retains its crisp texture.
- After blanching, quickly remove the Ong Choy from the pot and soak it in cold water to stop the cooking process. It's preferable to use cooled boiled water for soaking.
- After blanching, ensure that the Ong Choy is well-drained to prevent diluting the dressing. Place the drained Ong Choy on a plate and set it aside.
- In an empty bowl, combine minced garlic, white sesame seeds, and dried chili peppers to create the dressing mixture.
- Heat oil in a saucepan until it is sizzling hot, then carefully pour the hot oil over the bowl with the garlic, sesame seeds, and chili peppers. This step helps to release the aromatic flavors of the ingredients.
- In the bowl containing the other dressing ingredients, add a tablespoon of light soy sauce, a tablespoon of vinegar, and a teaspoon of salt. Stir well to combine, creating a flavorful dressing with a perfect balance of savory and tangy notes.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the Ong Choy, ensuring that each piece is coated evenly.
