📝 About This Recipe
A staple of Indonesian home cooking and seafood stalls (warung) alike, Tumis Kangkung is a vibrant celebration of texture and bold aromatics. This dish features crunchy water spinach flash-fried in a savory, umami-rich paste of fermented shrimp and bird's eye chilies. It is a quick, high-heat masterpiece that delivers a perfect balance of spicy, salty, and slightly sweet notes in every bite.
🥗 Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 500 grams Kangkung (Water Spinach) (cleaned, leaves separated, and stalks cut into 2-inch lengths)
- 3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (high smoke point oil like canola or sunflower)
- 50 ml Water (to create a slight steam and sauce)
The Aromatics (Bumbu)
- 5 pieces Shallots (thinly sliced)
- 3 cloves Garlic (thinly sliced)
- 3-5 pieces Red Bird's Eye Chilies (sliced diagonally; adjust to heat preference)
- 2 pieces Large Red Chili (sliced diagonally for color and mild heat)
- 1 medium Tomato (cut into wedges)
- 1 teaspoon Terasi (Shrimp Paste) (toasted and crumbled)
- 2 cm Galangal (Lengkuas) (bruised)
- 2 pieces Indonesian Bay Leaf (Daun Salam) (dried or fresh)
Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce (for savory depth)
- 1/2 teaspoon Palm Sugar (or brown sugar to balance the heat)
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon White Pepper (ground)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Begin by thoroughly washing the kangkung in cold water. Separate the tougher stalks from the tender leaves. Slice the stalks into 2-inch pieces and keep the leaves whole.
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2
Prepare the aromatics by slicing the shallots, garlic, and chilies. Ensure the shrimp paste (terasi) is toasted in a dry pan for 1 minute until fragrant before crumbling it.
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3
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large wok or wide skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer.
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4
Add the sliced shallots and garlic to the wok. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until they turn golden brown and smell aromatic.
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5
Toss in the red chilies, bird's eye chilies, galangal, and bay leaves. Stir-fry for another minute until the chilies soften slightly.
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6
Add the crumbled shrimp paste (terasi) and the tomato wedges. Use your spatula to press down on the shrimp paste to ensure it dissolves and integrates into the oil.
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7
Turn the heat up to high. Add the kangkung stalks first, as they take longer to cook than the leaves. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
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8
Add the kangkung leaves into the wok. It will look like a lot of volume, but they will wilt very quickly.
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9
Immediately pour in the oyster sauce, palm sugar, salt, and white pepper. Toss vigorously to coat the greens.
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10
Splash in the 50ml of water. This creates a burst of steam that finishes the cooking and creates a light, savory gravy.
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11
Stir-fry for only 1-2 more minutes. The leaves should be wilted but the stalks must remain bright green and crunchy.
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12
Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the galangal and bay leaves before transferring to a serving plate.
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13
Serve immediately while the dish is steaming hot to prevent the greens from turning dark.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use high heat to ensure the kangkung cooks fast and retains its vibrant green color. If you cannot find water spinach, you can substitute with baby spinach or Choy Sum, though the texture will differ. Do not overcook; the charm of this dish lies in the 'crunch' of the stalks. If you prefer a vegetarian version, swap the shrimp paste and oyster sauce for fermented yellow bean paste (tauco) and mushroom sauce. Wash kangkung at least twice to ensure all sand or grit is removed from the hollow stalks.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve alongside steamed jasmine rice to soak up the savory juices. Pairs perfectly with Indonesian Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng) or grilled fish (Ikan Bakar). Add a side of crunchy shrimp crackers (Krupuk) for a textural contrast. Enjoy with a glass of cold Es Teh Manis (Indonesian Sweet Iced Tea) to balance the chili heat.