Stir-fried water spinach with garlic (Rau muống xào tỏi)

1. Wash the water spinach thoroughly, trim off the tough stem ends and cut into 8-10 cm lengths; halve the thick stems lengthways.

2. Blanch in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, then plunge into iced water and drain well – this keeps it bright green and crisp.

3. Crush the garlic; gently fry half of it in the oil in a wok until golden.

4. Turn the heat to maximum, add the water spinach and toss quickly for 1-2 minutes.

5. Add the fish sauce, sugar and the remaining raw garlic and toss for another 30 seconds.

6. Serve immediately with rice.

Tip: Vietnam's most popular vegetable side, on the table at almost every family meal. The two kinds of garlic (fried and raw) give it its distinctive flavour; if you can't find water spinach, use ordinary spinach or bok choy.