The world is better with kangkung belacan

Kangkung is quite expensive here in Australia, around $10-12 per kg. A bunch of kangkung is around 400g, so a plate of this vegetable is more expensive than other green vegetables like spinach, kay lan, choy sim or bok choy. Not only that, kangkung doesn't appear every day in our local grocery store, which makes it even more special. That's why for us a dish of kangkung is a treat!

Kangkung can be stir-fry with only garlic and salt and pepper, or with sliced red onions, chili, galangal and bay leaf, but our favorite is kangkung belacan (belacan = dried shrimp paste). Belacan has quite a strong smell, but actually that's what makes this dish soooo mouth-watering!

The belacan is best toasted (put in frying pan without oil) until brown, then ground with other ingredients (chili, onion, garlic).  Fry together the spices in a little of hot oil and toss the kangkung, cook in high fire and don't leave it too long to maintain the bright green color. Enjoy!