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kangkung belcan on a plate

Kangkung Belacan (Stir-fried Water Spinach with Shrimp Paste)

Azlin Bloor
Get your kangkung belacan recipe here! It's a quick and easy water spinach stir-fry that is popular in Singapore and Malaysia.
5 from 11 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Singaporean and Malaysian
Servings 2 (Serves 2-3)
Calories 152 kcal

Equipment

  • knife
  • chopping board
  • chopper (or pestle and mortar)
  • wok or large frying pan
  • ladle

Ingredients
 
 

Paste Ingredients (Rempah)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 fresh red chillies you can also use 2 tsp of a generic red chilli paste (you can increase or decrease the amount for a milder or hotter dish)
  • 1 tsp shrimp paste belacan
  • 1 Tbsp dried shrimp udang kering
Everything else
  • 300 g kangkung
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • salt if needed
  • 60 ml water

Instructions
 

Make the paste

  • Peel and quarter the onion, peel the garlic and roughly chop the chillies (in 2-3 pieces).
    2 cloves garlic, 1 small onion, 2 fresh red chillies
  • Place all the paste ingredients into a chopper and chop to a fairly fine paste.
    You could use a pestle and mortar, if you like. If you are, soak your dried prawns in very hot water for 10 minutes. Then drain and pound.
    1 tsp shrimp paste, 1 Tbsp dried shrimp

Let's make some Kangkung Belacan

  • Rinse and chop the kangkung into roughly equal lengths, measuring about 5cm (2in). Separate the harder stalks from the leaves, as the stalks will need cooking slightly longer.
    300 g kangkung
  • Heat oil in a frying pan on medium-high heat and fry the ground ingredients until fragrant, for about a minute.
    1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • Add the kangkung stalks, stir, then add the water. Mix again and leave to cook for 2 minutes.
    60 ml water
  • Now add the kangkung leaves, give it a quick stir just to let the leaves wilt. You don't want to cook it for more than 30-60 seconds. Take it off the heat.
    Like spinach, kangkung cooks quickly and is best eaten with a slight crunch as is true for all vegetables!
  • Check seasoning and stir in the salt if you want it saltier (the shrimp paste and dried prawns are salty ingredients). Serve immediately.
    salt if needed

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 13gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 524mgPotassium: 667mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 9879IUVitamin C: 149mgCalcium: 171mgIron: 4mg
Keyword kangkung belacan, stir-fry
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