Kangkung Belacan (Quick and Easy Water Spinach Stir Fry)

Kangkung Belacan is a very traditional and popular vegetable stir fry found in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the surrounding countries. It is, quite possibly, my favourite vegetable dish. Ever.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Kangkung Belacan
Kangkung Belacan

Food Memories

Kankung belacan always reminds me of an old, ferrari-driving friend of mine, whom I used to go dancing with in my 20s, in Singapore. Whenever he was giving me a lift home, we’d always stop off at this Chinese food stall. We’d order some rice or noodles, a chicken or beef dish, some sort of spicy sambal and always, always this kangkung belacan.

And because the kangkung was always the quickest to arrive, we’d start every meal with him asking the server, in colloquial Malay:

lu ingat gua kambing, ka?

“Do you think I’m a goat,” in English. Isn’t it wonderful how certain foods always come attached with memories?

Water spinach
Water spinach/kangkung

What is Kangkung or Water Spinach?

It is a vegetable by so many other names. A semi aquatic plant, ipomoea aquatica has hollow, reedy stalks with long, thin leaves, resembling arrows. Everybody in Singapore and Malaysia calls it kangkung, whatever our ethnic background. Off the top of my head, it is also known as:

  • water spinach
  • water convolvulus (still get a tickle out of this one)
  • water morning glory
  • Chinese spinach
  • ung choi

I’ll do a blog post on it soon, for our Culinary Garden page, let’s just talk about the recipe today.

How to cook Kangkung?

It wants the briefest of cooking times for one thing. Because the stalks are harder, we often split the stalks and the leaves, giving the former an additional minute of cooking time. In fact, much like when I cook spinach, I tend to add the leaves after I’ve turned the heat off, allowing them to just heat up and cook ever so slightly.

Like spinach, kangkung cooks quickly and is best eaten with a slight crunch, as is true for most vegetables!

kangkung belacan ingredients
kangkung belacan ingredients

Kangkung Belacan Recipe

This is one of those recipes that most of the ethnic groups in Singapore and Malaysia lay claim to. You’ll find it sold by the Chinese, the Malays, the Nyonyas and the Eurasians. Head on over to the Singapore and Malaysia page to read up on the various ethnic groups in these countries.

This is also, more often than not, a spicy recipe. You can always control the heat level by using more or less chillies, and also by the type of chillies. Jalapeños are going to be mild, while a bird’s eye type chilli will be spicy.

Like chillies? Check out The Chilli Page!

Cooking kangkung belacan is a speedy process, with the actual cooking taking no more than 3-4 minutes. Let’s take a look at a couple of “pesky” ingredients as I like to call them.

How to Dry Roast Shrimp Paste
Belacan or Shrimp Paste is made from fermented ground shrimp, sun dried and sold as a cooking ingredient in South east Asia. Find out how to use it in recipes.
Check out this ingredient
Belacan, Shrimp paste

How to use Dried Shrimp

Want to know how to used dried shrimp? I've got your covered! Let's take a look at how to use dried shrimp chopped, whole or as floss.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Ingredients
Cuisine: International
Keyword: dried shrimp, ebi, udang kering
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Soaking Time (if needed): 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2
Author: Azlin Bloor
Cost: £0.30 (US $0.40)

Equipment

  • kettle for hot water
  • bowl for soaking the dried shrimp
  • pestle and mortar if you're a traditionalist
  • small chopper

Ingredients

  • Tbsp dried shrimp or more as your recipe calls for
  • hot water, enough to cover the shrimp

Instructions

Soak the Dried Shrimp

  • Put the kettle on and place the dried shrimp in a bowl.
  • Pour very hot water over the dried shrimp to completely submerge them. Cover, and leave to soak for 10 minutes.

Chopping/Flossing

  • Follow the instructions as in your recipe, but a general guide is:
    If using as part of a spice paste, just drain the soaked shrimp (no need to rinse) and add to the chopper or mortar and chop or pound away to get your paste.
  • Some recipes call for the shrimp to be pounded to a coarse state. You can do this with a pestle and mortar, or use a chopper, like I prefer.
  • If you want to use the dried shrimp as a garnish or topping, place them in a chopper and pulse until they are shredded and resemble floss.

Video

How to use Dried Shrimp
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Shrimp Paste

Click here to read more and for substitutes. This smelly paste screams umami, and is an indispensable ingredient in South East Asian cooking. If you plan to do any Singaporean, Malaysian, ThaiIndonesian or Vietnamese cooking, then I suggest you source out some shrimp paste. Try Amazon, if there isn’t a store nearby.

Here in the UK, most of our large supermarkets sell it.

If you can’t get shrimp paste, you could use a couple of anchovies in oil or brine, patted dry, mashed up and used in its place. Naturally, it won’t be the same flavour, but it will be delicious!

Dried Shrimp

Click here to read more and for substitutes. Sun dried shrimp, these smell and taste of the sea and are brimming with umami. Again, Amazon stocks it, as do countless online shops here in the UK. I get mine from the local Chinese.

Traditionally, dried shrimp in recipes like this one, will be soaked in hot water before being used. But I’ve recently done away with this soaking part, and am quite happy with the results. Bonus: it cuts down on the total time too.

Substitute for Water Spinach in Kangkung Belacan

Chinese greens like choi sum and pak choi make good substitutes.

A great non green vegetable to use in this recipe is the humble beansprout. Stir fried beansprouts using this exact recipe and amounts are absolutely delicious.

Kangkung Belacan
Kangkung Belacan, moderately hot

Vegetarian Kangkung Belacan (or Vegan)

You would have noticed that this isn’t vegetarian, because of the shrimp and shrimp paste. I remember having a conversation with a Singaporean uncle of mine not too long ago. He said that Malay food is very non vegetarian friendly. And he was right, for the simple reason that dried shrimp and shrimp paste are routinely used in most vegetable dishes, as a flavour base.

So how do we make this vegetarian? We need to lose the shrimp base and replace it with something.

To me, shiitake is one of the best vegetarian umami ingredients there is out there.

And it’s my go-to ingredient when converting recipes for vegan clients and students.

Dried are better, as the flavour and aroma is more concentrated. You could soak them before using, as is the norm. However, if you have a good chopper or spice mill, place them dry and grind to a powder before using. For this recipe, a handful of dried shiitake will do.

How to Serve Kangkung Belacan?

It’s a side dish, so would be perfect with rice or noodles, and perfect as part of any Oriental or South East Asian meal. Take a look at the gallery below. Then let’s get our aprons on!

More Singaporean and Malaysian Recipes

I recently started a new blog, Singaporean and Malaysian Recipes. This is where all my childhood recipes are going to be from now on. That category on this site has been retired.

So head on over to SMR for for more delicious recipes like:

Nasi Ulam
Nasi Ulam recipe, a rice salad from North Malaysia, served with a variety of side dishes like fried chicken, sambal belacan* (local shrimp paste chilli sauce) and fried fish, just to name a few.
Get the Recipe!
Ayam Assam Serani (Sour Eurasian Chicken Curry)
Ayam Assam Serani is a sour chicken curry from the Eurasian community in Singapore and Malaysia. A traditional but almost forgotten recipe.
Get the Recipe!
Bak Chor Mee (肉脞面), a very Singaporean Bowl of Noodles
Bak Chor Mee recipe, a much loved noodle dish found in hawker centres all around Singapore, is a singularly Singaporean fare. So this post is for, and dedicated to, all my fellow Singaporeans, who, like me, are no longer living "at home".

Bak Chor Mee, Singapore Noodles recipe

If you like the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Thank you!

And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor, and hashtag it #linsfood

Lin xx

Kangkung Belacan

Kangkung Belacan

Kangkung Belacan is a very simple and nutritious vegetable side dish that goes so, so well with just some plain rice. It has a deep and quite often spicy flavour that the rice complements perfectly.
5 from 60 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Singaporean and Malaysian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Servings: 3 (Serves 2-3)
Calories: 75kcal
Author: Azlin Bloor

Ingredients

  • 300 g kangkung
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 fresh red chilli more or less, for heat
  • 1 tsp shrimp paste belacan
  • 1 Tbsp dried shrimp udang kering
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • salt if needed

Instructions

  • Cut the kangkung into equal lengths, separating the harder stalks from the leaves, place on 2 separate plates.
  • Place the the onion, garlic, chilli, shrimps and shrimp paste in a chopper and chop to a fairly fine mix.
  • Heat oil in a frying pan on medium high heat and fry the ground ingredients until fragrant, about a minute.
  • Add the stalks, stir fry for a minute, then add the leaves, give it a quick stir and taste for seasoning, turn stove off. Like spinach, kangkung cooks quickly and is best eaten with a slight crunch as is true for all vegetables!

Nutrition

Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 6444IU | Vitamin C: 80mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @azlinbloor and tag #linsfood!
Made it? Upload your photosMention @azlinbloor and tag #linsfood!

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19 thoughts on “Kangkung Belacan (Quick and Easy Water Spinach Stir Fry)”

  1. Another lovely recipe, and I’m planning to try it tonight! One question, would you toast the belacan first as for many other recipes, or just use the wet/raw paste directly? Thanks!

    1. Thank you, Jay. When I use the belacan in a spice paste that’s going to be cooked, I don’t bother pre toasting it. So yes, just add it to the paste ingredients directly.
      It’s only when we’re using belacan in sambals that are going to remain raw, that I toast it first to deepen the flavour.
      Let me know how it goes.

      1. 5 stars
        It came out perfectly. I have to admit I added a decent sprinkle of salt and a sneaky pinch of sugar. Maybe as I soaked the udang kering it drew some salt out? Thanks again for the great recipe!

        1. I’m pleased to hear that. And yes, you could be right about the dried shrimp.
          You notice that I didn’t add any instructions here for soaking the udang kering. I spent years doing that, then one day, just decided to add them straight into the chopper, and they got ground perfectly fine. So, I no longer soak dried shrimp before use, most of the time.
          Some older recipes here will still ask to soak the dried shrimp, I just haven’t got around to updating them.
          Good to know you enjoyed the recipe.

          Not sure if you’re aware, but I’ve started a new blog: Singaporean and Malaysian Recipes.
          All new Sg/My recipes are going to be there.

  2. Mason Parry

    Hi Lin, Ive cooked this many times but i only use finely micned garlic, chilli and a little bit of ginger, and fish sauce instead of shrimp paste. My family love it every time. But am I missing out on much if I dont add the onion or shrimp paste, and added ginger?

    1. Hi Mason, while we have many vegetable dishes that have that combination garlic and ginger (and dried shrimp), kangkung belacan is one that is never made with ginger.
      I think ginger certainly adds its own slant to the dish.
      With what you’re using, you’ve got a kangkung stir-fry, which is definitely going to be delicious, as you describe it.

      Are you missing the unique flavour of the dish as it is made without the shrimp paste? Yep, absolutely. The onion – hardly noticeable.

      Shrimp paste is such a strong ingredient that even the smallest amount will make itself known in a dish. Fish sauce has hints of that same character, but not quite as much depth.

      If you can get your hands on shrimp paste, I’d give it a go, leave out the ginger, and see what you think. The recipe also calls for dried shrimp, so get that too if you’re not using it already.

      ps: shrimp paste, to many people, is a stinky ingredient. My kids hate it when I use it, especially if I’m dry toasting it first. So just bear that in mind.

      I hope that helps.

  3. frenchbrief

    5 stars
    looks decent like what i craved for! got all ingredients ready and trying out tonight. cheers…

  4. The recipe sounds magical, Lin! How a very simple green is turned into a very delicious dish in 4 minutes!
    I think I know it as kalmi saag here but it was way back in childhood that I had eaten it last. I don’t see it around anymore. But I would love to make this simple saute with baby spinach from my garden sometime soon.

  5. Sandra Williams

    This looks like something I would really enjoy. But I’m a vegetarian, so I appreciate the veggie option, thanks Azlin.

  6. I’ve never had this dish from your area, but am sure I had something similar at Chinese restaurants.
    The dried & paste shrimps coupled with garlic and a bit of kick, I’ve just mind had breakfast virtually over rice before the actual one!
    P.S. The Japanese food is usually very non vegetarian friendly, as well.

  7. Jasmine Henderson

    You are always introducing me to new ingredients, Azlin. I think I have seen this at the Asian shops near me (in BC). Have bookmarked, really curious to try this.

  8. Rosma Anders

    Oh man, Ocado sells kangkung? I really need to switch over to them. My Chinese is so unreliable with their fresh produce, I can never get it. Thanks Lin!

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