Years
ago, during our visit to Vietnam, we fell in love with the local preparation of
morning glory. Also known as water spinach or 空心菜 (kōng
xīn cài) in
Chinese—meaning “hollow heart vegetable”—this leafy green is named for its
crisp, hollow stems. Native to Southeast Asia, morning glory should not be
confused with the British plant of the same name, which can actually be toxic.
More
recently, while we were in Thailand, morning glory became a staple at our
lunches—served daily, without fail. After returning home, I found myself
missing its distinct flavor and texture, and my mind began searching for a
substitute closer to home. That’s when I remembered the kozhuppan cheera
(also known as spinach cheera, sambar cheera, or Ceylon spinach)
growing in our kitchen garden. I decided to experiment.
To my
delight, the dish turned out wonderfully—so much so that my husband remarked, “It’s
almost the same as what we had in Thailand.” A simple but satisfying
success!
Ingredients
A big bunch of sambar cheera, cleaned thoroughly. Very thick stems are discarded as they are fibrous. Thinner stems are sliced vertically and cut into 3 inch long pieces. Leaves are also cut first vertically and then into 3 inch long sections
2 tbsps oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
6 garlic cloves crushed
2 green chillies sliced
Salt to taste
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp powdered sugar
Instrution
- Heat the oil and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the green chillies and crushed garlic. Keep medium flame.
- When the garlic browns slightly, add the cut leaves and stir well. Add salt and mix, it will be cooked in a couple of minutes.
- Pour in the soya sauce and sugar mix.
- Stir well and serve hot.
