Chop off the roots and discard the first few inches of the stalks as they can be too fibrous.

Remove any yellow or bruised leaves.

Rinse the rest of the stalks under running water, chop them into 3-4 cm pieces, and set aside.

Peel the garlic cloves and remove the stems from the chilies.

Using a mortar and pestle, roughly pound the garlic first until it’s crushed and fragrant, then do the same for the chilies, leaving a little texture for interest.

Set a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and allow it to heat for about 1 minute until shimmering.

Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and chili mixture. Stir continuously for about 2 minutes until fragrant but not burnt.

Toss in the chopped water spinach and stir for roughly 2 minutes, allowing it to wilt but still retain some crunch.

Add the oyster sauce and fermented soybean paste. Stir to incorporate everything until the water spinach turns a vibrant green but doesn’t become overly wilted (about 2 minutes).