Stir-Fried Water Spinach with Garlic and Shrimp Paste

Water spinach has as many aliases as a Cold War double-agent: “morning glory,” “hollow heart spinach,” “ong choy,” and “kangkong” are just a few used in Malaysia and Singapore. This very popular green vegetable grows in shallow water all around Southeast Asia. Its unique structure allows for a peculiar preparation for cooking. The large top leaves hide tiny, tender baby leaves, or “leaflets” lower on the straw-like stem. Snap and pick the greens underneath each stem leaflet.