kangkong Belacan 馬來棧炒蕹菜

A must have when you are dining in a Malaysian restaurant, this humble swamp dweller that grows wild in many parts of Asia has got many names, from tung chai, ung choi, water mimosa, swamp cabbage or even morning glory, but it will always be kangkong to most people growing up in Malaysia and Singapore. Many Malaysian restaurants in Melbourne would substitute this with spinach, perhaps because the price of this vegetable can go from $2.00/kg to up to a staggering $17.00/kg depending on the season. I somehow think they should really put this up when they are in season just like how a lot of Chinese restaurants are doing these days.
I make a simple sambal bajak (I'll post the recipe in a later date) for this stir fry as one of the tummies is not a real fan of belacan, it is less pungent but nevertheless a wonderful dish. If you have sweet potatoes growing in your backyard, the tender stems and leaves are just as delicious cook this way.
P.S it is very important to cook the harder stems first before adding the softer parts of the vegetable.

you'll need;
3 bunches of kangkong, picked and cut into 3" pieces
3 tbs of sambal belacan or sambal bajak

for sambal belacan you'll need;
5 red chilies, chopped
1.5 tbs shrimp paste, toasted
1/4 tbs of sugar
1/4 tbs of salt
2 cloves of garlic, chopped (optional)
2 shallots, chopped (optional)
1 lime
Pound everything til you get a course. I have added garlic and shallots to give the dish a softer edge

Prepare spice paste

Fry paste til fragrant and oil separate.

Fry the hard stems first til soften.

Follow by the leafy part and fry til soft but still retain the crunch. Check for seasonings.

Serve hot as part of a Malaysian meal. We had it with Malaysian chicken curry and cucumber, onion and pineapple pickle.